The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has concluded three days of landmark hearings examining Guatemala’s unprecedented request to intervene in the separate maritime sovereignty case between Belize and Honduras concerning the disputed Sapodilla Cayes archipelago. Held from November 24-26 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, these proceedings could establish significant precedents for how the world court manages interconnected territorial disputes.
Guatemala’s legal representatives petitioned the Court for non-party intervenor status, asserting that their nation’s longstanding territorial claim against Belize creates a substantive legal interest in the outcome of the Belize v. Honduras proceedings. They contended that participation is essential to safeguard what Guatemala characterizes as protected legal rights pertaining to the Sapodilla Islands.
Honduras mounted a vigorous challenge to this proposition, maintaining that neither the ICJ Statute nor established procedural norms authorize such intervention in a distinctly separate case. Honduran delegates warned that admitting Guatemala would effectively introduce an entirely new dispute into the proceedings and represent an improper utilization of the intervention mechanism. They emphasized that Guatemala retains full opportunity to present Sapodilla-related arguments within its own ongoing case against Belize.
Belize adopted a judicially strategic position, focusing arguments on the Court’s fundamental duty to ensure orderly and expeditious administration of justice. Belizean representatives advocated for coordinated management of the two parallel cases—Guatemala v. Belize and Belize v. Honduras—to facilitate comprehensive resolution of all outstanding regional territorial issues. They underscored that intervention remains discretionary rather than automatic, requiring strict adherence to procedural rules and prudent exercise of judicial authority to prevent unnecessary delays.
The Court has now entered private deliberations ahead of issuing its ruling on Guatemala’s application. The Sapodilla Cayes case originated with Belize’s filing on November 16, 2022, addressing sovereignty over the small island chain persistently administered by Belizean authorities. Guatemala submitted its intervention petition nearly one year later on December 1, 2023. Simultaneously, both nations continue litigating the broader territorial, insular, and maritime dispute initiated through their Special Agreement—ratified by popular referenda and formally lodged with the ICJ in June 2019.
Belize’s delegation featured ICJ Agent His Excellency Assad Shoman, accompanied by members of Belize’s international legal consortium and officials from the Office of the Agent.