Conclusion of the public hearings on the merits held from Monday 30 September to Friday 4 October 2024

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)70 302 2323 Fax: +31 (0)70 364 9928
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Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2024/66
4 October 2024
Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty over Islands (Gabon/Equatorial Guinea) Conclusion of the public hearings on the merits held from Monday 30 September to Friday 4 October 2024
THE HAGUE, 4 October 2024. The public hearings on the merits in the case concerning Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty over Islands (Gabon/Equatorial Guinea) concluded today with the final submissions of Gabon.
The hearings, which opened on Monday 30 September 2024, comprised two rounds of oral argument. The delegation of Equatorial Guinea was led by HE Mr Domingo Mba Esono, Minister Delegate of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development, as Agent. The delegation of Gabon was led by HE Ms Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo, Honorary President of the Constitutional Court, as Agent.
The final submissions of the Parties, made by the Agents at the end of Equatorial Guinea’s oral argument on Thursday 3 October 2024 and Gabon’s oral argument on Friday 4 October 2024, can be found on the website of the Court in verbatim records 2024/33 and 2024/34, respectively.
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The Court will now begin its deliberation.
The Court’s decision will be delivered at a public sitting, the date of which will be announced in due course.
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History of the proceedings
It is recalled that the proceedings were instituted on 5 March 2021 by way of a Special Agreement between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, which was signed in 2016 and entered into force in March 2020 (see press release 2021/10).
In the Special Agreement, the Parties request the Court
“to determine whether the legal titles, treaties and international conventions invoked by the Parties have the force of law in the relations between the Gabonese Republic and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea in so far as they concern the delimitation of their common maritime and land boundaries and sovereignty over the islands of Mbanié/Mbañe, Cocotiers/Cocoteros and Conga”.
By an Order dated 7 April 2021, the Court fixed 5 October 2021 and 5 May 2022 as the respective time-limits for the filing of a Memorial by Equatorial Guinea and a Counter-Memorial by Gabon. Those written pleadings were filed within the time-limits thus fixed.
By an Order dated 6 May 2022, the President of the Court fixed 5 October 2022 and 6 March 2023 as the respective time-limits for the filing of a Reply by Equatorial Guinea and a Rejoinder by Gabon. Those pleadings were filed within the time-limits thus fixed.
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Note: The Court’s press releases are prepared by its Registry for information purposes only and do not constitute official documents.
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and agencies of the system.
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Information Department:
Ms Monique Legerman, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department: +31 (0)70 302 2336
Ms Joanne Moore, Information Officer: +31 (0)70 302 2337
Email: [email protected]