Order of 19 June 2018

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
YEAR 2018
2018
19 June
General List
No. 171
19 June 2018
ARBITRAL AWARD OF 3 OCTOBER 1899
(GUYANA v. VENEZUELA)
ORDER
Present: President YUSUF; Vice-President XUE; Judges TOMKA, ABRAHAM, BENNOUNA,
CANÇADO TRINDADE, DONOGHUE, GAJA, SEBUTINDE, BHANDARI, ROBINSON,
GEVORGIAN, SALAM; Registrar COUVREUR.
The International Court of Justice,
Composed as above,
After deliberation,
Having regard to Articles 48 and 53 of the Statute of the Court and to Articles 31, 44, 48
and 79, paragraphs 2 and 3, of the Rules of Court,
Having regard to the Application filed in the Registry of the Court on 29 March 2018,
whereby the Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana (hereinafter “Guyana”) instituted
proceedings against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (hereinafter “Venezuela”) with regard to
a dispute concerning “the legal validity and binding effect of the Award Regarding the Boundary
between the Colony of British Guiana and the United States of Venezuela, of 3 October 1899”;
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Whereas a signed copy of the Application was communicated to Venezuela on the day it was
filed;
Whereas Guyana has appointed H.E. Mr. Carl B. Greenidge as Agent, and
Sir Shridath Ramphal and Ms Audrey Waddell as Co-Agents;
Whereas, at the meeting held, pursuant to Article 31 of the Rules of Court, by the President
of the Court with the representatives of the Parties, on 18 June 2018, the Agent of Guyana
indicated that his Government wished to have at its disposal a period of nine months for the
preparation of its Memorial;
Whereas, at that same meeting, H.E. Ms Delcy Rodríguez Gómez, Vice-President of
Venezuela, stated that her Government considers that the Court manifestly lacks jurisdiction and
that Venezuela has decided not to take part in the proceedings; and whereas she handed to the
President of the Court a letter dated 18 June 2018 from H.E. Mr. Nicolás Maduro Moros, President
of Venezuela;
Whereas, in this letter, the President of Venezuela states, in particular, that “there is no basis
for the jurisdiction of the Court” and that “the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will not
participate in the proceedings”;
Whereas, at the above-mentioned meeting, the representatives of Guyana reiterated, in
response to the statement of the Vice-President of Venezuela, that their Government wished to
proceed with the case;
Whereas the possibility for Venezuela of availing itself of its procedural rights as a Party to
the case is preserved;
Whereas the Court considers, pursuant to Article 79, paragraph 2, of its Rules, that, in the
circumstances of the case, it must resolve first of all the question of the Court’s jurisdiction, and
that this question should accordingly be separately determined before any proceedings on the
merits;
Whereas it is necessary for the Court to be informed of all of the legal and factual grounds
on which the Parties rely in the matter of its jurisdiction,
Decides that the written pleadings shall first be addressed to the question of the jurisdiction
of the Court;
Fixes the following time-limits for the filing of those pleadings:
19 November 2018 for the Memorial of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana;
18 April 2019 for the Counter-Memorial of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; and
Reserves the subsequent procedure for further decision.
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Done in English and in French, the English text being authoritative, at the Peace Palace,
The Hague, this nineteenth day of June, two thousand and eighteen, in three copies, one of which
will be placed in the archives of the Court and the others transmitted to the Government of the
Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,
respectively.
(Signed) Abdulqawi Ahmed YUSUF,
President.
(Signed) Philippe COUVREUR,
Registrar.
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