Photo: Foreign Minister, Hon. Eamon Courtenay

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 25, 2023

Two days prior to Belize’s 42nd anniversary of its Independence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Foreign Trade held its “diplomatic briefing” for the diplomatic corp resident in Belize. It was then that Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay made some notable revelations. Among them was that Belize will seek financial assistance from the international community for the demarcation of the borders once the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has made its ruling on Guatemala’s territorial, insular and maritime claim to Belize. Courtenay remarked that he had already raised the matter with some in the diplomatic corp for two consecutive years. He emphasized to the foreign officials that we are nearing the end of the legal proceedings at the ICJ and “the Special Agreement under which we went to court with Guatemala provides for recognition of the judgment, implementation of the judgment.” He then went on to say, “Implementation of the judgment on land means demarcation of the border. Demarcation of the border is extremely expensive…We are making an appeal to the international community to assist us in (1) contributing to the demarcation as your sign to Belize and Guatemala who have peacefully resolved this issue, but just as importantly, the maintenance of the rule of the law and the settlement of international disputes.” Courtenay reported that a budget is being drafted for the expected cost after which “specific representation” will be made to friendly countries, including the Friends of Belize, to support the process.

Courtenay also provided additional explanation as to why Belize instituted proceedings against Honduras before the ICJ, given their claim over the Sapodillas, which is enshrined in the Honduras Constitution. He stated, “Our lawyers say that as a matter of international law, as between Belize and Guatemala, the Court will refrain from determining who has sovereignty because a third party is claiming sovereignty- – who is not before the court.” Belize filed its memorial on the Honduras – Sapodilla Cays matter on November 16, 2022. Courtenay revealed at the diplomatic briefing this month that Honduras wrote the ICJ to request a 7-month extension to submit its counter memorial, but that was denied, and so they must submit their documentation in December 2023.

As he had already revealed in an interview, Minister Courtenay informed the diplomats that the oral hearing for the Belize/Guatemala case is expected to take place by June 2024, as elections for ONE THIRD of the 15 judges of the ICJ are to be held in November this year and the new judges are to take their seats in February 2024. Elections for 1/3 of seats at the ICJ happen every three years to ensure “a degree of continuity”, and judges are eligible for re-election. Courtenay is hopeful that the Honduras case will also be ready to be heard at the same time as the Belize/Guatemala case so that there is a final resolution on both issues.