Pres. Ali urges Venezuela to respect pending ICJ ruling on border dispute
September 24 2026
President Dr Irfaan Ali has urged Venezuela to respect the forthcoming ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy, stressing that Guyana will abide by the decision.
Ali made the remarks during his address to the general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, his first address to the Assembly since the ICJ concluded hearings in the case in May 2026.
His appearance came less than a day after Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez used the same platform to call for a return to negotiations under the 1966 Geneva Agreement.
The Guyanese President said Georgetown turned to the ICJ only after decades of bilateral efforts to resolve the controversy, including work through a mixed commission and the good offices of the UN Secretary-General.
He maintained that the 1899 Arbitral Award constituted the full and final settlement of the boundary between then-British Guiana and Venezuela.
Ali said Guyana has continued to pursue a peaceful resolution despite what he described as repeated provocations and aggression. He noted that the Secretary-General ultimately referred the matter to the ICJ under the Geneva Agreement and that Guyana participated fully in the court proceedings in accordance with international law.
The ICJ has twice affirmed its jurisdiction over the case, first in 2020 and again in 2023 when it rejected a further Venezuelan objection. The court has also issued provisional measures at Guyana’s request, including a 2025 order directing Venezuela not to proceed with elections in the disputed Essequibo region.
With the substantive hearings now completed, Ali called on Venezuela to respect the court’s eventual ruling in accordance with its obligations under the UN Charter. Guyana, he said, intends to do the same.
The President expressed hope that the ruling will mark the beginning of a new phase in relations between Guyana and Venezuela, with greater emphasis on neighbourly relations, development and regional stability.
The case was filed by Guyana in 2018 and seeks confirmation that the 1899 Arbitral Award and the boundary it established are valid and binding under international law.
The 81st UN General Assembly is being held under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.”
