Guyana Delivers Oral Rebuttal at ICJ, Defends 1899 Arbitral Award and Court's Jurisdiction

On May 8, 2026, Guyana presented its second round of oral arguments at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), directly rebutting Venezuela's claim that the court lacks jurisdiction over the Essequibo territorial dispute. Guyana's legal team argued that Venezuela's participation in the proceedings — despite its stated jurisdictional objections — demonstrates the ICJ's competence to hear the case. Guyana reiterated its core position: the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the current boundary giving Guyana the entire Essequibo region, is valid and binding under international law. The Guyanese attorneys countered Venezuela's invocation of the 1966 Geneva Agreement by arguing the accord itself contemplated ICJ referral as one of the available resolution mechanisms. Attorney-General Anil Nandlall told the court that 'Guyana's future depends on a clear, definitive ruling' and that the Essequibo accounts for approximately two-thirds of Guyana's national territory and lies adjacent to the offshore Stabroek Block where ExxonMobil has discovered over 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil.