Guyana can go it alone at World Court

Withdraw claim: Activist Don Gomes (right) and his friend yesterday held a protest in front of the Venezuelan Embassy on Thomas Street calling for Venezuela to withdraw its claim to Guyana’s Essequibo.

-forum hears

Citing the Philippines’ case against China, Ambassador Cedric Joseph last evening stated that Guyana can unilaterally present to the World Court its case on the border controversy in the absence of Venezuelan participation.

According to Joseph, a precedent exists for such action and as long as jurisdiction is acknowledged, Guyana has “to make the first move to the court.” At the time he was speaking at the University of Guyana’s second conversation on Law and Society titled Guyana’s Borders: Boundaries, Barriers, or Bridges, held at the Theatre Guild last evening.

As part of a panel of four speakers, including Major General retired Joseph Singh, Ambassador Keith George and Paulette Henry, Joseph responded to a series of questions from the audience. One of the questions asked centred on what actions Guyana could take if Venezuela rejected a recommendation on Tuesday from Secretary General Antonio Guterres that the border controversy with Guyana be forwarded to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) also known as the World Court.  Guyana has welcomed the referral of the controversy to the World Court, something it has been seeking over the last four years.