Another hearing has been scheduled to start on September 20th 2021 at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands in the almost century old Nicaragua and Colombia territory dispute.
Background
A previous decision by the ICJ on November 19th, 2012 set out new maritime boundaries between Nicaragua and Colombia in relation to claims against the Caribbean Islands known as San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina. The original dispute on sovereignty had been settled in a 1928 treaty signed by both countries.
However, the ICJ decided that they did have jurisdiction over the maritime borders of the Caribbean Sea in an area known for its prime fishing.
The 2012 ICJ decision that followed the hearing awarded tens of thousands of square kilometers to Nicaragua that had previously been under the control of Colombia. The decision did not sit well with Colombia who were naturally concerned about the impact of the new maritime borders on fishing rights and the knock on effect on the inhabitants of the Colombia lands in the region.
Ongoing disputes and appeals since 2013 included a decision in 2016 by the ICJ declaring they are the competent authority to settle the maritime disputes between Colombia and Nicaragua
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is considered “The principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN)”. It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946. The court is located within the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands) and is the only one of the ”six principal organs of the United Nations” not located in New York City, USA.
2021
The focus of the September hearings will be to deal with the points that still separate the parties without putting everything else on the table and repeating previous arguments or agreed facts.
Nicaragua and Colombia will present oral arguments, after which the hearings are formerly closed and the judges deliberate on their decision. The judgment will usually be delivered several months after the haring closes.
The other ongoing Nicaragua and Colombia territory dispute that the ICJ is considering relates to Nicaragua’s request for a delimitation of the continental shelf between Nicaragua and Colombia waters beyond the 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast. This case has concluded its written submission stage but the date of the oral hearing has not yet been set.
Trivia: The city known as The Hague gets its name from the “des Graven Hage” (the Count’s Enclosure) built in the 15th century. Abbreviated to ‘s-Gravenhage and then Den Haag, The Hague.
