Guyana-Venezuela border controversy for World Court

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre) joins President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela (left) and President David Granger of Guyana in a three-way handshake at the United Nations headquarters in New York in September 2016. (UN photo)

United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres has recommended that the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in what will be seen as a pivotal development in this country’s bid to conclusively rebuff the spurious territorial claim of its neighbour to the west.

Over the last three years, Guyana has been seeking recourse to the ICJ to settle the controversy with Venezuela which emerged in 1962.

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had given the good offices process between the two countries one additional year – 2017 –  for talks at settling the controversy and if there was no substantial progress the matter would then be sent to the ICJ, also known as the World Court.