THE UK WELCOMES BELIZE-GUATEMALA TERRITORIAL DISPUTE REFERENDA

Jeremy Browne, the Foreign Office Minister for Latin America said on May 4^th in a press release, that he welcomed the agreement between Guatemala and Belize to hold simultaneous referenda on 6 October 2013 on referring their territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In a press release Mr. Browne said:

“I welcome the agreement, announced last Friday by the Foreign Ministers of Belize and Guatemala, to hold referenda on 6 October 2013 on the question of referring the Guatemala-Belize territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The UK supports the ICJ route as a means to finding a long-term and sustainable resolution which is acceptable to both states.

“The resolution of the territorial dispute continues to be a long-term priority for the UK. Our finding for the Organisation of American States (OAS) office in the Adjacency Zone, and our contributions to the legal fees fund to assist both countries during the ICJ process, confirm our long-standing support. This agreement is an important step towards increasing stability, development and trade in the region.”

The question to be put forward for the referenda is: “Do you agree that any legal claim of Guatemala against Belize relating to land and insular territories and to any maritime areas pertaining to these territories should be submitted to the International Court of Justice for final settlement and that it determine finally the boundaries of the respective territories and areas of the Parties?”