What’s with the Wording of the Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala?

Dylan Vernon

Another hot-button issue that the media has been pressing for answers while at The Hague is the specific wording of the Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala. The court would be asked to settle based on International law – “any and all legal claims of Guatemala against Belize.” Some fear the wording is too open-ended and leaves Belizeans unclear as to what the actual Guatemalan claim may be. On Wednesday, in his interview, Ambassador Dylan Vernon explained.

Dylan Vernon, Belize’s Ambassador in Belgium

“The question was very, very carefully defined especially by the Belize side to include all claims that Guatemala might have. As you know, over the years, Guatemala has made many different parts of Belize as its claim—from a piece of Toledo to a slice to a caye and most recently, in 1999, it was half of Belize and that is most likely what will be taken there but Belize does not know. We have to say any and all claims so that one the court rules in a final ruling then the international community and Guatemala will know that the borders we define as ours in our constitution are the ones that are going to be what the court will rule as.  Guatemala is the ones who are claiming. So they are the ones who have to defend and define what they are claiming. They have not been very clear about that historically. This is going to be the opportunity and perhaps we hope if we go to the I.C.J. the final opportunity this is exactly what we are claiming and as you would suspect all of the arguments that they have for any claim that they might have fro Belize. The Belize side has arguments from the point of view of our legal experts out government easily refute those. We are going there if we go to the I.C.J. with the understanding that when we leave there will be no more opportunity for Guatemala to say well me missed out this piece or we missed out that piece and we come again. There is no coming again after a ruling of the I.C.J.”