Order of 28 April 2016

Document Number
154-20160428-ORD-01-00-EN
Document Type
Date of the Document
Document File
Bilingual Document File

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
REPORTS OF JUDGMENTS,
ADVISORY OPINIONS AND ORDERS
QUESTION OF THE DELIMITATION
OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COLOMBIA
BEYOND 200 NAUTICAL MILES
FROM THE NICARAGUAN COAST
(NICARAGUA v. COLOMBIA)
ORDER OF 28 APRIL 2016
2016
COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE
RECUEIL DES ARRÊTS,
AVIS CONSULTATIFS ET ORDONNANCES
QUESTION DE LA DÉLIMITATION
DU PLATEAU CONTINENTAL
ENTRE LE NICARAGUA ET LA COLOMBIE
AU‑DELÀ DE 200 MILLES MARINS
DE LA CÔTE NICARAGUAYENNE
(NICARAGUA c. COLOMBIE)
ORDONNANCE DU 28 AVRIL 2016
Official citation :
Question of the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf between Nicaragua
and Colombia beyond 200 Nautical Miles from the Nicaraguan Coast
(Nicaragua v. Colombia), Order of 28 April 2016,
I.C.J. Reports 2016, p. 231
Mode officiel de citation :
Question de la délimitation du plateau continental entre le Nicaragua
et la Colombie au-
delà de 200 milles marins de la côte nicaraguayenne
(Nicaragua c. Colombie), ordonnance du 28 avril 2016,
C.I.J. Recueil 2016, p. 231
ISSN 0074-4441
ISBN 978-92-1-157291-9
Sales number
No de vente: 1096
QUESTION OF THE DELIMITATION
OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COLOMBIA
BEYOND 200 NAUTICAL MILES
FROM THE NICARAGUAN COAST
(NICARAGUA v. COLOMBIA)
QUESTION DE LA DÉLIMITATION
DU PLATEAU CONTINENTAL
ENTRE LE NICARAGUA ET LA COLOMBIE
AU-
DELÀ DE 200 MILLES MARINS
DE LA CÔTE NICARAGUAYENNE
(NICARAGUA c. COLOMBIE)
28 APRIL 2016
ORDER
28 AVRIL 2016
ORDONNANCE
231
4
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
YEAR 2016
28 April 2016
QUESTION OF THE DELIMITATION
OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COLOMBIA
BEYOND 200 NAUTICAL MILES
FROM THE NICARAGUAN COAST
(NICARAGUA v. COLOMBIA)
ORDER
The President of the Court,
Having regard to Article 48 of the Statute of the Court and to Articles
44 and 79, paragraph 9, of the Rules of Court,
Having regard to the Application filed in the Registry of the Court on
16 September 2013, whereby the Republic of Nicaragua instituted proceedings
against the Republic of Colombia with regard to a dispute in
relation to “[t]he delimitation of the boundaries between, on the one hand,
the continental shelf of Nicaragua beyond the 200‑nautical‑mile limit from
the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of Nicaragua is
measured, and on the other hand, the continental shelf of Colombia”,
Having regard to Nicaragua’s First Request in its Application, whereby
the Court was asked to establish “[t]he precise course of the maritime
boundary between Nicaragua and Colombia in the areas of the continental
shelf which appertain to each of them beyond the boundaries determined
by the Court in its Judgment of 19 November 2012” and to
Nicaragua’s Second Request, whereby it was asked to declare “[t]he principles
and rules of international law that determine the rights and duties
of the two States in relation to the area of overlapping continental shelf
claims and the use of its resources, pending the delimitation of the mari‑
2016
28 April
General List
No. 154
232 delimitation of the continental shelf (order 28 IV 16)
5
time boundary between them beyond 200 nautical miles from Nicaragua’s
coast”,
Having regard to the Order dated 9 December 2013, whereby the Court
fixed 9 December 2014 and 9 December 2015 as the time‑limits for the
filing, respectively, of the Memorial of the Republic of Nicaragua and the
Counter‑Memorial of the Republic of Colombia,
Having regard to the preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the
Court and to the admissibility of the Application raised by the Government
of the Republic of Colombia on 14 August 2014;
Whereas the filing of the preliminary objections by the Republic of
Colombia had the effect, under Article 79, paragraph 5, of the Rules of
Court, of suspending the proceedings on the merits;
Whereas, by a Judgment dated 17 March 2016, the Court found that it
had jurisdiction on the basis of Article XXXI of the Pact of Bogotá to
entertain the First Request put forward by Nicaragua in its Application
and that that Request was admissible;
Whereas, by a letter dated 1 April 2016, the Registrar informed both
Parties that the President of the Court would hold a meeting on 21 April
2016, pursuant to Article 31 of the Rules of Court, in order to ascertain
their views with regard to the further procedure in the case;
Whereas, by a letter dated 20 April 2016, the Agent of Colombia indicated
to the Registrar that neither himself nor the Co‑Agent of Colombia
would be able to attend the meeting convened by the President; whereas
the Agent however stated, with respect to the time‑limit for the filing of
Colombia’s Counter‑Memorial, that his Government “relie[d] on the
spirit of the Court’s Order of 9 December 2013 . . . according to which
Colombia ha[d] twelve months from the day of filing of Nicaragua’s
Memorial to exercise its right to defend its case”;
Whereas, at the meeting held between the President and the Agent of
Nicaragua on 21 April 2016, the latter, taking into account the fact that
Nicaragua had already begun preparation of its Memorial before the proceedings
on the merits were suspended, requested a further four‑ to
five‑month period of time for the filing of that pleading; whereas the
Agent of Nicaragua did not object to Colombia being granted a
twelve‑month period of time, from the date of filing of the Memorial, for
the preparation of its Counter‑Memorial;
Whereas the Applicant and the Respondent were each initially given
twelve months for the preparation of a Memorial and a Counter‑Memorial,
respectively; whereas the Applicant already had at its disposal
a part of that period before the proceedings were suspended on the merits;
whereas, in the circumstances of the case and taking account of the views
of the Parties, it would be proper to accord each of them a time‑limit
which takes into consideration this specific situation,
233 delimitation of the continental shelf (order 28 IV 16)
6
Fixes the following time‑limits for the filing of the written pleadings:
28 September 2016 for the Memorial of the Republic of Nicaragua;
28 September 2017 for the Counter‑Memorial of the Republic of
Colombia; and
Reserves the subsequent procedure for further decision.
Done in English and in French, the English text being authoritative, at
the Peace Palace, The Hague, this twenty‑eighth day of April, two thousand
and sixteen, in three copies, one of which will be placed in the
archives of the Court and the others transmitted to the Government of
the Republic of Nicaragua and the Government of the Republic of
Colombia, respectively.
(Signed) Ronny Abraham,
President.
(Signed) Philippe Couvreur,
Registrar.

Bilingual Content

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
REPORTS OF JUDGMENTS,
ADVISORY OPINIONS AND ORDERS
QUESTION OF THE DELIMITATION
OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COLOMBIA
BEYOND 200 NAUTICAL MILES
FROM THE NICARAGUAN COAST
(NICARAGUA v. COLOMBIA)
ORDER OF 28 APRIL 2016
2016
COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE
RECUEIL DES ARRÊTS,
AVIS CONSULTATIFS ET ORDONNANCES
QUESTION DE LA DÉLIMITATION
DU PLATEAU CONTINENTAL
ENTRE LE NICARAGUA ET LA COLOMBIE
AU‑DELÀ DE 200 MILLES MARINS
DE LA CÔTE NICARAGUAYENNE
(NICARAGUA c. COLOMBIE)
ORDONNANCE DU 28 AVRIL 2016
Official citation :
Question of the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf between Nicaragua
and Colombia beyond 200 Nautical Miles from the Nicaraguan Coast
(Nicaragua v. Colombia), Order of 28 April 2016,
I.C.J. Reports 2016, p. 231
Mode officiel de citation :
Question de la délimitation du plateau continental entre le Nicaragua
et la Colombie au-
delà de 200 milles marins de la côte nicaraguayenne
(Nicaragua c. Colombie), ordonnance du 28 avril 2016,
C.I.J. Recueil 2016, p. 231
ISSN 0074-4441
ISBN 978-92-1-157291-9
Sales number
No de vente: 1096
QUESTION OF THE DELIMITATION
OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COLOMBIA
BEYOND 200 NAUTICAL MILES
FROM THE NICARAGUAN COAST
(NICARAGUA v. COLOMBIA)
QUESTION DE LA DÉLIMITATION
DU PLATEAU CONTINENTAL
ENTRE LE NICARAGUA ET LA COLOMBIE
AU-
DELÀ DE 200 MILLES MARINS
DE LA CÔTE NICARAGUAYENNE
(NICARAGUA c. COLOMBIE)
28 APRIL 2016
ORDER
28 AVRIL 2016
ORDONNANCE
231
4
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
YEAR 2016
28 April 2016
QUESTION OF THE DELIMITATION
OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COLOMBIA
BEYOND 200 NAUTICAL MILES
FROM THE NICARAGUAN COAST
(NICARAGUA v. COLOMBIA)
ORDER
The President of the Court,
Having regard to Article 48 of the Statute of the Court and to Articles
44 and 79, paragraph 9, of the Rules of Court,
Having regard to the Application filed in the Registry of the Court on
16 September 2013, whereby the Republic of Nicaragua instituted proceedings
against the Republic of Colombia with regard to a dispute in
relation to “[t]he delimitation of the boundaries between, on the one hand,
the continental shelf of Nicaragua beyond the 200‑nautical‑mile limit from
the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of Nicaragua is
measured, and on the other hand, the continental shelf of Colombia”,
Having regard to Nicaragua’s First Request in its Application, whereby
the Court was asked to establish “[t]he precise course of the maritime
boundary between Nicaragua and Colombia in the areas of the continental
shelf which appertain to each of them beyond the boundaries determined
by the Court in its Judgment of 19 November 2012” and to
Nicaragua’s Second Request, whereby it was asked to declare “[t]he principles
and rules of international law that determine the rights and duties
of the two States in relation to the area of overlapping continental shelf
claims and the use of its resources, pending the delimitation of the mari‑
2016
28 April
General List
No. 154
231
4
COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE
ANNÉE 2016
28 avril 2016
QUESTION DE LA DÉLIMITATION
DU PLATEAU CONTINENTAL
ENTRE LE NICARAGUA ET LA COLOMBIE
AU‑DELÀ DE 200 MILLES MARINS
DE LA CÔTE NICARAGUAYENNE
(NICARAGUA c. COLOMBIE)
ORDONNANCE
Le président de la Cour,
Vu l’article 48 du Statut de la Cour et les articles 44 et 79, paragraphe 9,
de son Règlement,
Vu la requête déposée au Greffe de la Cour le 16 septembre 2013, par
laquelle la République du Nicaragua a introduit une instance contre la
République de Colombie concernant un différend relatif à « la délimitation
entre, d’une part, le plateau continental du Nicaragua s’étendant
au‑delà de 200 milles marins des lignes de base à partir desquelles est
mesurée la largeur de la mer territoriale du Nicaragua et, d’autre part, le
plateau continental de la Colombie »,
Vu la première demande formulée par le Nicaragua dans sa requête,
par laquelle la Cour a été priée de déterminer « [l]e tracé précis de la frontière
maritime entre les portions de plateau continental relevant du Nicaragua
et de la Colombie au‑delà des limites établies par la Cour dans son
arrêt du 19 novembre 2012 », et sa deuxième demande, par laquelle la
Cour a été priée de déterminer « [l]es principes et les règles de droit international
régissant les droits et obligations des deux Etats concernant la
zone de plateau continental où leurs revendications se chevauchent et
l’utilisation des ressources qui s’y trouvent, et ce, dans l’attente de la déli‑
2016
28 avril
Rôle général
no 154
232 delimitation of the continental shelf (order 28 IV 16)
5
time boundary between them beyond 200 nautical miles from Nicaragua’s
coast”,
Having regard to the Order dated 9 December 2013, whereby the Court
fixed 9 December 2014 and 9 December 2015 as the time‑limits for the
filing, respectively, of the Memorial of the Republic of Nicaragua and the
Counter‑Memorial of the Republic of Colombia,
Having regard to the preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the
Court and to the admissibility of the Application raised by the Government
of the Republic of Colombia on 14 August 2014;
Whereas the filing of the preliminary objections by the Republic of
Colombia had the effect, under Article 79, paragraph 5, of the Rules of
Court, of suspending the proceedings on the merits;
Whereas, by a Judgment dated 17 March 2016, the Court found that it
had jurisdiction on the basis of Article XXXI of the Pact of Bogotá to
entertain the First Request put forward by Nicaragua in its Application
and that that Request was admissible;
Whereas, by a letter dated 1 April 2016, the Registrar informed both
Parties that the President of the Court would hold a meeting on 21 April
2016, pursuant to Article 31 of the Rules of Court, in order to ascertain
their views with regard to the further procedure in the case;
Whereas, by a letter dated 20 April 2016, the Agent of Colombia indicated
to the Registrar that neither himself nor the Co‑Agent of Colombia
would be able to attend the meeting convened by the President; whereas
the Agent however stated, with respect to the time‑limit for the filing of
Colombia’s Counter‑Memorial, that his Government “relie[d] on the
spirit of the Court’s Order of 9 December 2013 . . . according to which
Colombia ha[d] twelve months from the day of filing of Nicaragua’s
Memorial to exercise its right to defend its case”;
Whereas, at the meeting held between the President and the Agent of
Nicaragua on 21 April 2016, the latter, taking into account the fact that
Nicaragua had already begun preparation of its Memorial before the proceedings
on the merits were suspended, requested a further four‑ to
five‑month period of time for the filing of that pleading; whereas the
Agent of Nicaragua did not object to Colombia being granted a
twelve‑month period of time, from the date of filing of the Memorial, for
the preparation of its Counter‑Memorial;
Whereas the Applicant and the Respondent were each initially given
twelve months for the preparation of a Memorial and a Counter‑Memorial,
respectively; whereas the Applicant already had at its disposal
a part of that period before the proceedings were suspended on the merits;
whereas, in the circumstances of the case and taking account of the views
of the Parties, it would be proper to accord each of them a time‑limit
which takes into consideration this specific situation,
délimitation du plateau continental (ordonnance 28 IV 16) 232
5
mitation de leur frontière maritime au‑delà de 200 milles marins de la
côte nicaraguayenne »,
Vu l’ordonnance en date du 9 décembre 2013, par laquelle la Cour a
fixé au 9 décembre 2014 et au 9 décembre 2015 les dates d’expiration des
délais pour le dépôt, respectivement, du mémoire de la République du
Nicaragua et du contre‑mémoire de la République de Colombie,
Vu les exceptions préliminaires d’incompétence de la Cour et d’irrecevabilité
de la requête qui ont été soulevées par le Gouvernement de la
République de Colombie le 14 août 2014 ;
Considérant que le dépôt des exceptions préliminaires de la République
de Colombie a eu pour effet, en vertu de l’article 79, paragraphe 5, du
Règlement de la Cour, de suspendre la procédure sur le fond ;
Considérant que la Cour, par son arrêt en date du 17 mars 2016, a
déclaré qu’elle avait compétence, sur la base de l’article XXXI du pacte
de Bogotá, pour connaître de la première demande formulée par le Nicaragua
dans sa requête, et que cette demande était recevable ;
Considérant que, par lettre en date du 1er avril 2016, les deux Parties
ont été informées par le greffier que le président de la Cour tiendrait une
réunion le 21 avril 2016, conformément à l’article 31 du Règlement de la
Cour, afin de s’enquérir de leurs vues sur la suite de la procédure ;
Considérant que, par lettre en date du 20 avril 2016, l’agent de la République
de Colombie a informé le greffier que ni le coagent ni lui‑même ne
seraient en mesure d’assister à la réunion convoquée par le président ; qu’il a
cependant précisé, au sujet de la date d’expiration du délai pour le dépôt du
contre‑mémoire de la Colombie, que son gouvernement « se fond[ait] sur
l’esprit de l’ordonnance rendue par la Cour le 9 décembre 2013 … prévoyant
que la Colombie disposer[ait] de douze mois à compter de la date du dépôt
du mémoire du Nicaragua pour exercer son droit de faire valoir ses
moyens » ;
Considérant que, au cours de la réunion que le président a tenue le
21 avril 2016 avec l’agent du Nicaragua, celui‑ci a sollicité un délai supplémentaire
de quatre à cinq mois pour le dépôt du mémoire, le Nicaragua
ayant déjà commencé l’élaboration de ladite pièce avant la suspension
de la procédure sur le fond ; que l’agent du Nicaragua a indiqué n’avoir
pas d’objection à ce que la Colombie dispose d’un délai de douze mois, à
compter de la date du dépôt du mémoire, pour l’élaboration de son
contre‑mémoire ;
Considérant que le demandeur et le défendeur se sont initialement vu
accorder un délai de douze mois pour l’élaboration du mémoire et du
contre‑mémoire, respectivement ; que le demandeur a déjà bénéficié d’une
partie de ce délai avant la suspension de la procédure sur le fond ; que,
dans les circonstances de l’espèce et compte tenu des vues des Parties, il
convient d’accorder à chacune d’elles un délai qui tienne compte de cette
situation particulière,
233 delimitation of the continental shelf (order 28 IV 16)
6
Fixes the following time‑limits for the filing of the written pleadings:
28 September 2016 for the Memorial of the Republic of Nicaragua;
28 September 2017 for the Counter‑Memorial of the Republic of
Colombia; and
Reserves the subsequent procedure for further decision.
Done in English and in French, the English text being authoritative, at
the Peace Palace, The Hague, this twenty‑eighth day of April, two thousand
and sixteen, in three copies, one of which will be placed in the
archives of the Court and the others transmitted to the Government of
the Republic of Nicaragua and the Government of the Republic of
Colombia, respectively.
(Signed) Ronny Abraham,
President.
(Signed) Philippe Couvreur,
Registrar.
délimitation du plateau continental (ordonnance 28 IV 16) 233
6
Fixe comme suit les dates d’expiration des délais pour le dépôt des
pièces de la procédure écrite :
Pour le mémoire de la République du Nicaragua, le 28 septembre 2016 ;
Pour le contre‑mémoire de la République de Colombie, le 28 septembre
2017 ;
Réserve la suite de la procédure.
Fait en anglais et en français, le texte anglais faisant foi, au Palais de la
Paix, à La Haye, le vingt‑huit avril deux mille seize, en trois exemplaires,
dont l’un restera déposé aux archives de la Cour et les autres seront transmis
respectivement au Gouvernement de la République du Nicaragua et
au Gouvernement de la République de Colombie.
Le président,
(Signé) Ronny Abraham.
Le greffier,
(Signé) Philippe Couvreur.

ICJ document subtitle

Fixing of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial

Document file FR
Document Long Title

Order of 28 April 2016

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