Negotiators finalizing agreement to take dispute to ICJ
Much time was devoted today to the ground work to take the Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory before the International Court of Justice. According to Barrow, members of the head negotiating team are currently finalizing the “compromis” or agreement which will govern what is put to the ICJ.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be bringing the draft to Cabinet hopefully, next Tuesday and thereafter it will be circulated publicly. The timeline, of course, is that after the circulation and public discussion of that document, it will go to the National Assembly for approval of the document and that will then clear the way for the holding of the referendum which, you will recall, must be done simultaneously with Guatemala. The public education campaign will have to start occurring at a fairly fast clip. Because I personally am convinced, based on all the advice I have had, all the opinions I have see from the top flight international lawyers, I personally am convinced that the Guatemalans have no case. I personally am convinced that the ICJ will be obliged to rule in Belize’s favour. I concede as a lawyer that there is always a thing called litigation risk and that is why it is not ultimately what I feel, it is what the Belizean people feel. But the whole idea is to get an I.C.J. decision that would put an end once and for all to Guatemala’s claim that would vindicate the borders of this country as we know them and that would provide the way for a proper demarcation of those terms. As I said, when you go to court there’s always a chance that you don’t get all that you want. But in my view, our case is so unassailable that I am certainly prepared to take that chance. What is important though is that we explain in clearest possible terms, in the most objective terms, to the Belizean people what is involved and that we respect their ability to make up their own minds on this issue.”
Barrow reports there is currently no definite time line for the signing of the compromis or the joint referendum. The PM says he intends to meet with the Leader of the Opposition next week to talk about the agreement.
