LONDON, Sept 12, CMC -The Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana (CMGG) has reiterated its “firm and steadfast support” for the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) process as the appropriate and lawful means to address the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.
The members of the CMGG, as constituted following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Durban in 1999, are Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Guyana and Venezuela have a long standing border dispute over the Essequibo region, which is controlled by Guyana as part of its six regions. Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo region is based on the 1899 Arbitral Award, which it describes as being was void.
In March 2024, Venezuela passed a law that designates Essequibo as a new state of Venezuela, governed from the city of Tumeremo.
The Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace between Guyana and Venezuela said that the two countries agreed that “any controversies” between them will be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement dated February 17, 1966.
The Joint Declaration issued following talks in Kingstown, St. Vincent in December 2023 between President Irfaan Ali and President Nicolas Maduro over the disputed Essequibo region, also indicated that the two countries agreed that “any controversies” between them will be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement dated February 17, 1966.
The border dispute is before the ICJ.
The CMGG was convened on Thursday by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Botchwey, at the request of the Guyana government to monitor, “further developments in respect of the existing controversy between Guyana and Venezuela”.
A statement issued following the meeting, chaired by Touhid Hossain, the Foreign Affairs Adviser of the interim government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, acknowledged that Guyana’s cabinet appointments are yet to be made following the September 1 general election even as it welcomed the country’s representative, Ambassador Ivan Evelyn.
Evelyn provided the meeting with “certain developments” since the last CMGG meeting in September last year, and the statement said the CMGG “recognised and commended Guyana’s exemplary conduct, in particular its restraint and adherence to international law”.
The statement said that the CMGG reiterated its recognition of the ICJ judgement of December 18, 2020 that, pursuant to the case filed by Guyana on March 29, 2018, the Court, “has jurisdiction to entertain the Application filed by the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on 29 March 2018 in so far as it concerns the validity of the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”.
The statement said that the CMGG “encouraged the parties to continue to engage with the International Court of Justice as the Court proceeds in 2026 to the oral hearings on the merits of the case”
The CMGG said that it recognised that Guyana has pledged to accept the ICJ’s judgement and urged Venezuela to also accept the final ruling of the Court.
But the CMGG said that it noted with concern the reports from Guyana on the developments in Venezuela since the last CMGG meeting, including the holding of elections in Venezuela related to the Essequibo Region, contrary to the ICJ Order of May 1 this year and “condemned the provocative action taken by a Venezuelan naval vessel in Guyana’s maritime waters on 1 March 2025”.
The CMGG said that it is encouraging Guyana and Venezuela to continue the work begun with the December 14, 2023 Argyle Agreement to improve relations between the two countries and to find a peaceful resolution to the controversy.
The Ministerial Group commended the ongoing Good Offices of the Secretary General to engage partners to support peace and stability in the Caribbean region and urged the Secretary-General to continue to use her Good Offices to encourage all parties to accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ.
The CMGG also confirmed its support for the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana, for Guyana’s right to self-defence, and for the unobstructed exercise of its right to develop the entirety of its territory for the benefit of its people.
“The Group reaffirmed and called on all to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations as an enduring value. 14.The Group agreed to inform all Commonwealth Member Governments of the outcome of this meeting and to present a Report to the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting later this month,” the statement added.
CMC/lf/ir/2025