INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel:+ 31 (0)70 302 23 23. Cables: Intercourt,
The Hague. Fax: +31 (0)70 364 99 28. Telex: 32323. E-mail address:
mail@icj-cij .org. Internet address:ttp://w-vvw.iej-cij.org.
Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2002/17
18 June 2002
Maritime Delimitation between Nicaragua and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea
(Nicaragua v. Honduras)
Fixing of time-limits for the filing of a Reply by
Nicaragua and Rejoinder by Honduras
THE HAGUE, 18June 2002. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has authorized the
submission of a Reply by Nicaragua and a Rejoinder by Honduras in the above-mentioned case.
In its Order dated 13 June 2002, the Court fixed the following time-limits for the filing of
these pleadings:
13 January 2003 for the Reply of Nicaragua
13 August 2003 for the Rejoinder of Honduras
The subsequent procedure has been reserved for further decision.
History of the proceedings
On 8 December 1999 Nicaragua filed an Application instituting proceedings against
Honduras in respect of a dispute conceming the delimitation of the maritime zones appertaining to
each of those States in the Caribbean Sea.
In its Application, Nicaragua states inter alia that it bas for decades "maintained the position
that its maritime Caribbean border with Honduras has not been determined", but that Honduras's
position is that ''therein fact exists a delimitation line that runs straight easterly on the parallel
latitude from the point fixed [in an Arbitral Award of 23 December 1906 made by the King of
Spain conceming the land boundary between Nicaragua and Honduras, which was found valid and
binding by the International Court of Justice on 18 November 1960] on the mouth of the Coco
river". According to Nicaragua, ''the position adopted by Honduras . . . has brought repeated
confrontations and mutual capture of vessels of both nations in and around the general border
area". Nicaragua further states that "diplomatie negotiations have failed". -2-
Nicaragua therefore requests the Court "to determine the course of the single maritime
boundary between areas of territorial sea, continental shelf and exclusive economie zone
appertaining respectively to Nicaragua and Honduras, in accordance with equitable principles and
relevant circumstances recognized by general international law as applicable to such a delimitation
of a single maritime boundary".
According to Nicaragua, this request for the determination of a single maritime boundary is
"subject to the power of the Court to establish different delimitations, for shelf rights and fisheries
respectively, if ... this course should be necessary in order to achieve an equitable solution".
Nicaragua further indicates that it "reserves the right to claim compensation for interference
with fishing vessels of Nicaraguan nationality or vessels licensed by Nicaragua, found to the north
of the parallel of latitude 14° 59' 08" claimed by Honduras to be the course of the delimitation
line". It also reserves "the right to claim compensation for any natural resources that may have
been extracted or may be extracted in the future to the south of the line of delimitation that will be
fixedby the Judgment of the Court".
As a basis for the Court's jurisdiction, Nicaragua invokes Article XXXI of the American
Treaty on Pacifie Settlement (officially known as the "Pact ofBogotâ"), signed on 30 April1948,
to which, it states, both Nicaragua and Honduras are parties, as well as the declarations under
Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Statute of the Court, by which both States have accepted the
compulsoryjurisdiction ofthe Court.
By an Order of 21 March 2000 the Court fixed 21 March 2001 and 21 March 2002 as the
respective time-limits for the filing of a Memorial by Nicaragua and a Counter-Memorial by
Honduras. Those pleadings were dulyfiled withinthe prescribed time-limits.
The full text of the Court's Order will shortly be available onthe Court's website at the following
address: www.icj-cij.org
Internet site of the Court: www.icj-cij.org
Information Department:
Mr.Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary{Tel.: +31 70 30223 36)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer {Tel.: +31 70 302 23 37)
Mr.Boris Heim, Information Officer (Tel.: +31 70 30223 37)
E-mail address: [email protected]
Maritime Delimitation between Nicaragua and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Honduras) - Fixing of time-limits for the filing of a Reply by Nicaragua and Rejoinder by Honduras