Sir Shridath Ramphal calls for unity ahead of elections, Guyana-Venezuela border case hearing

With the upcoming General and Regional Elections and the hearing of the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy case, longstanding statesman Sri Shridath Ramphal has called for unity to prevail.

He was at the time speaking at the commissioning ceremony of a new building under the Foreign Affairs Ministry, titled Ramphal House.
Shortly after the electoral season is over, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will commence public hearings on whether it has jurisdiction to hear the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy case.
With the possibility of tensions rising during the polls, he reminded that while there will be a greater magnitude of observation from the international community. As such, is need to practice what is emblazoned in the national motto.
“The eyes and ears of the global community will be upon us in a few weeks’ time. The closing days of a national election and the immediate days after when it pronounces its democratic decision, those days are fractious ones in any democracy and Guyana is not immune from this but we do have a greater need than usual to demonstrate to the world that our national motto does describe us,” he expressed.
Ramphal, who is one of the legal minds on Guyana’s team throughout the case, further contended that Venezuela’s claims of two-thirds of Guyana’s territory are simply ‘baseless’. During this trial, it was highlighted that Guyanese should mobilise themselves in a unified way to ensure that the country gains justice.
“Guyana speaks to the world at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, speaks to the world in our efforts ever since the Republic breathe life to put an end to what we regard as a baseless claim…On this matter, all of Guyana will be united in our quest for justice,” he asserted.
Positing that Venezuela has no grounds to claim Guyana’s land and maritime zones, the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth appealed, “The proceedings on the 23rd of March in The Hague will be about that destiny. It is my plea to all our fellow Guyanese that between now and then, we do nothing to impair that destiny”.
The claim, centred in the Essequibo region, is rich in resources that have driven some key economic sectors in Guyana over the years.
On March 29, 2018, Guyana filed an application requesting the ICJ to confirm the legal validity and binding effect of the 1899 Arbitral Award regarding its boundary with Venezuela.
Giving an insight into Venezuela’s challenge of Guyana’s sovereign lands, he shared that it was a vulnerable time for the country when much was at stake. Moreover, it was a time when the value of foreign affairs and support from other nations were highly valued.
“That challenge from Venezuela was in fact to be the making of Guyana. As we saw it, our very existence was on the line. We needed the international community. We needed their understanding, their support. Foreign Affairs for the young Guyanese diplomats was not about getting to know you and cocktail parties. We had to find our feet quickly. We had to win friends and above all, we had to earn respect,” the former Foreign Affairs Minister recalled.
Venezuela did not submit a response signalling their participation in the proceedings. The hearings will be held at The Hague in the Netherlands.
In June 2018, the Venezuelan Government issued an official statement outlining its decision not to participate in the United Nations Secretary General-chosen procedure regarding its claim over the Essequibo region.
This announcement followed several months after the decision was made by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to refer the matter to the ICJ as a means of resolving the ongoing controversy.
According to Guyana’s application to the World Court, for more than 60 years, Venezuela had consistently recognised and respected the validity of the binding force of the 1899 Award and the 1905 Map agreed by both sides in furtherance of the Award.
“Venezuela had only changed its position formally in 1962 as the United Kingdom was making final preparations for the independence of British Guiana and had threatened not to recognise the new State, or its boundaries, unless the United Kingdom agreed to set aside the 1899 Award and cede to Venezuela all of the territories west of the Essequibo River, amounting to some two-thirds of Guyana’s territory,” Guyana submitted in its application to the World Court.
The court document further noted that while Venezuela has never produced any evidence to justify its belated repudiation of the 1899 Award, the neighbouring country has used it as an excuse to occupy territory awarded to Guyana in 1899, to inhibit Guyana’s economic development, and to violate Guyana’s sovereignty and sovereign rights.
In filing the application, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, who will serve as Guyana’s agent in the proceedings before the ICJ, said: “… Guyana has respected the Secretary-General’s decision and placed its faith in the International Court of Justice to resolve the controversy in accordance with its statue and jurisprudence, based on the fundamental principles of international law, including the sanctity of treaties, the maintenance of settled boundaries and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.”
The UN Secretary-General’s authority to choose the ICJ as the means for resolving the controversy is rooted in the Geneva Agreement of 1966, negotiated just before Guyana attained independence.