belize guatemala dispute
HOW YOU CAN END THE GUATEMALAN
CLAIM
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ABSTRACT:
This paper is about Guatemala´s claim to the territory of Belize and the recent decision by the governments of both countries to submit the claim to the International Court of Justice for final binding adjudication and for delimiting their respective land and maritime borders. It gives a short history of the claim and describes efforts by Britain and
Belize to resolve the dispute, Belize´s attainment of independence in 1981 and subsequent attempts to end the dispute. The paper is written from the viewpoint of a Belizean, and focuses on the decision to submit the dispute to the ICJ after simultaneous referenda in both countries approve such submission, examines arguments for and against going to the ICJ and argues forcefully that it is in the best interests of both countries to have the dispute finally ended by a decision of the ICJ.
____________________________
AUTHOR:
Assad Shoman holds a PH.D. in history/international relations from London University, an M.A. in international relations from Sussex University and qualified as an attorney-at-law in London. He led the international campaign at the United Nations and participated in negotiations that resulted in Belize’s independence. He also headed the negotiations that produced the Facilitation Process with the participation of the Secretary General of the
Organization of American States (OAS) and, after Guatemala rejected the agreed Proposals, the negotiations that opened the way for the dispute to be submitted to the ICJ. He is the author of several books and articles on Belize, and in the early years of the 21st century was the Foreign Minister of Belize.
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KEY WORDS:
Belize, Guatemala, Great Britain, UN, OAS, ICJ, territorial dispute
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
YES BELIZE
1
2
A QUICK ROMP THROUGH BELIZE HISTORY
2
3
THE GUATEMALAN CLAIM AND BRITISH ATTEMPTS TO
CLAIM
____________________________
ABSTRACT:
This paper is about Guatemala´s claim to the territory of Belize and the recent decision by the governments of both countries to submit the claim to the International Court of Justice for final binding adjudication and for delimiting their respective land and maritime borders. It gives a short history of the claim and describes efforts by Britain and
Belize to resolve the dispute, Belize´s attainment of independence in 1981 and subsequent attempts to end the dispute. The paper is written from the viewpoint of a Belizean, and focuses on the decision to submit the dispute to the ICJ after simultaneous referenda in both countries approve such submission, examines arguments for and against going to the ICJ and argues forcefully that it is in the best interests of both countries to have the dispute finally ended by a decision of the ICJ.
____________________________
AUTHOR:
Assad Shoman holds a PH.D. in history/international relations from London University, an M.A. in international relations from Sussex University and qualified as an attorney-at-law in London. He led the international campaign at the United Nations and participated in negotiations that resulted in Belize’s independence. He also headed the negotiations that produced the Facilitation Process with the participation of the Secretary General of the
Organization of American States (OAS) and, after Guatemala rejected the agreed Proposals, the negotiations that opened the way for the dispute to be submitted to the ICJ. He is the author of several books and articles on Belize, and in the early years of the 21st century was the Foreign Minister of Belize.
____________________________
KEY WORDS:
Belize, Guatemala, Great Britain, UN, OAS, ICJ, territorial dispute
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
YES BELIZE
1
2
A QUICK ROMP THROUGH BELIZE HISTORY
2
3
THE GUATEMALAN CLAIM AND BRITISH ATTEMPTS TO