Belize signs co-op agreement with Central American Court

Since assuming the presidency of SICA, Belize has signed a number of agreements with countries in Central America and today, it added one more to that list: a cooperation agreement with the Central American Court of Justice. This afternoon Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh and President of the Central American Court of Justice, Dr. Ricardo Acevedo Peralta, inked an agreement, which according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide for increased integration between Belize’s judiciary and that of its mainland neighbours. Acevedo told News Five that they are happy to have Belize on board.

Ricardo Acevedo Peralta, President, Central American Court of Justice
“It’s a very important issue for us because Belize is a part of the Central American Integration System and the court is its main organ because all its rules are binding for all the countries that pertain to the Central American region system. So it’s a very important historical date today because Belize now can come to the court, not as an official member, but they can participate in our seminars, in our discussions, by hearing it and they can come with us to do whatever they want.”

“We are going to establish close relationships also with the Court of the CARICOM, so this is what we want, to have Belize as a part of Central America to be able to participate in all the decisions concerning the unification of the region. That’s why we are here, to tell the judges of Belize that we are at their service, that we are looking forward to establishing a full relationship that will enable for us to cooperate between us.”

In June, the C.A.C.J. is planning to hold a seminar for judges in Belize to familiarise them with the court and the agreement. The Central American Court of Justice is headquartered in El Salvador and was established in 1907. It deals mainly with disputes arising between member states, although its jurisdiction does not extend to border or maritime issues.