Maritime Delimitation between Nicaragua and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Honduras) - Conclusion of the public hearings; Court ready to begin its deliberation

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 25KJ The Hague, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)70 302 2323 Fax: +31 (0)70 364 9928
Website: www.tcJ-CIJ.org

Press Release
----------------------------------------------------- Unofficial

No. 2007/9
23 March 2007

Maritime Delimitation between Nicaragua and Honduras
in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Honduras)

Conclusion of the public hearings;
Court ready to begin its deliberation

THE HAGUE, 23 March 2007. The public hearings in the case conceming Maritime
Delimitation between Nicaragua and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Honduras) were
concluded today. The Court will now start its deliberation.

At the hearings, which opened on 5 March 2007 at the Peace Palace, seat of the Court, the
delegation of Nicaragua was led by H.E. Mr. Carlos José Argüello Gômez, Ambassador of
Nicaragua to the Netherlands, as Agent. The delegation of Honduras was led by
H.E. Mr. Max Vei<isquez Dfaz, Ambassador of Honduras to the French Republic, and by

H.E. Mr. Roberto Flores Bermudez, Ambassador of Honduras to the United States of America, as
Agents.

The Court's Judgment will be rendered at a public sitting, the date of which will be
announced in due course.

Final submissions of the Parties

At the conclusion of the oral proceedings, the Parties presented the following final
submissions to the Court:

For Nicaragua:

"May it please the Court to adjudge and declare that:

The bisector of the lines representing the coastal fronts of the two Parties as described in the
pleadings, drawn from a fixed point approximately 3 miles from the river mouth in the position

15° 02'00" N and 83° 05'26" W, constitutes the single maritime boundary for the purposes of the
delimitation of the disputed areas of the territorial sea, exclusive economie zone and continental
shelf in the region of the Nicaraguan Rise.

The starting-point of the delimitation is the thalweg of the main mouth of the river Coco

such as it may be at any given moment as determined the Award of the King of Spain of 1906.

Without prejudice to the foregoing, the Court is required to decide the question of
sovereignty over the islands and cays within the area in dispute." - 2 -

For Honduras:

"May it please the Court to adjudge and declare that:

1. The islands Bobel Cay, South Cay, Savanna Cay and Port Royal Cay, together

with ali other islands, cays, rocks, banks and reefs claimed by Nicaragua which lie
north of the 15th parallel are under the sovereignty of the Republic of Honduras.

2. The starting-point of the maritime boundary to be delimited by the Court shall be a
point located at 14° 59.8' N latitude, 83° 05.8' W longitude. The boundary from

the point determined by the Mixed Commission in 1962 at 14° 59.8' N latitude,
83° 08.9' W longitude to the starting-point of the maritime boundary to be
delimited by the Court shall be agreed between the Parties to this case on the basis

of the Award of the King of Spain of 23 December 1906, which is binding upon
the Parties, and taking into account the changing geographical characteristics of
the mouth of the river Coco (also known as the river Segovia or Wanks).

3. East of the point at 14° 59.8' N latitude, 83° 05.8' W longitude, the single maritime
boundary which divides the respective territorial seas, exclusive economie zones
and continental shelves of Honduras and Nicaragua follows 14° 59.8'N latitude, as
the existing maritime boundary, or an adjusted equidistance line, until the

jurisdiction of a third State is reached."

The verbatim records of the hearings held between 5 and 23 March 2007 are available on the
Court's website (www.icj-cij.org). The history of the proceedings can be found in Press Release
No. 2006/31 of 19 July 2006.

Information Department:
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Secretary ofthe Court, Head of the Department (+31 70 302 23 36)
Messrs. Boris Heim and Maxime Schouppe, Information Officers (+31 70 302 23 37)
Ms Joanne Moore, Assistant Information Officer (+ 31 70 302 23 94)

E-mail address: information @icj-cij.org