The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will be meeting today to consider Guyana’s request for intervention, amid Venezuela’s blatant violation of the International Court of Justice’s order.
The World Court had issued a ruling barring Venezuela from taking any action emanating from the December 3 referendum, to seize Essequibo while the Court makes its decision on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award.
However, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced several measures which his administration intends to take in enforcing the outcome of the referendum.
On Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo lauded the urgency in which the UNSC sought to handle Guyana’s request.
Be it permanent or non-permanent, the former Head of State outlined that UNSC members will have to respect the ruling of an agency that is under the auspices of the UN umbrella; and in this case, the ICJ. Guyana is optimistic that it will garner unanimous support.
“We’re extremely pleased that they’ve taken up this matter with this sense of urgency…The ICJ gave these measures. They said these measures are binding on parties. We believe that all of the members would have to support the provisional measures of the Court. We don’t want anything else, except that Venezuela complies with the ruling of the ICJ…We expect unanimous support,” he told media operatives.
The orders of the ICJ which prohibited Venezuela from aggravating its border controversy with Guyana and which it later flouted, was sent to the United Nations Security Council by Secretary General Antonio Guterres himself.
The Secretary General’s Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric made this revelation as he reminded that decisions of the ICJ are binding on all parties involved.
“I can tell you that the Secretary-General strongly supports the use of solely peaceful means to settle international disputes. He further recalls that, pursuant to the Charter and to the Statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), decisions of the Court are binding, and he trusts that both States will duly comply with the Order from the Court,” Dujarric had said.
Meanwhile, Heads of Government with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has called an emergency meeting to facilitate dialogue today, as tensions rise and pressure mounts to safeguard the region as a peaceful one.
