As the international community awaits a final legal resolution to one of the Western Hemisphere’s longest-running territorial conflicts, Belize and Guatemala have taken a landmark step toward peaceful dispute settlement, signing a joint declaration that reaffirms their shared commitment to abiding by the upcoming ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The agreement was reached on June 24, 2026, on the sidelines of the 56th Regular General Assembly Session of the Organization of American States (OAS), which was convened in Panama City. Signing the document on behalf of their respective nations were Oscar Arnold, Chief Executive Officer of Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Carlos Ramiro Martínez, Guatemala’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Beyond restating long-held pledges, the joint declaration codifies both governments’ legal and political obligation to recognize the ICJ’s final judgment as binding under international law, and to carry out its terms in full good faith. This formal commitment comes months ahead of the ICJ’s highly anticipated ruling on Guatemala’s multi-faceted claim against Belize, which covers contested territorial, insular, and maritime boundaries.
In addition to committing to the ruling, the two nations issued a joint request for the OAS to sustain its existing diplomatic and operational support for ongoing confidence-building agreements between the two states. They specifically called for the OAS to maintain its long-standing presence in the contested Adjacency Zone, the buffer area between the two countries, until the ICJ delivers its official judgment.
The declaration also extends a broader appeal to the OAS and the wider global community. Belize and Guatemala are asking for targeted international assistance across several key priority areas once the ruling is issued: formal territorial demarcation, cross-border conflict prevention, resource mobilization to support implementation, and any additional measures that may be required to operationalize the court’s decision.
The pending ICJ judgment is poised to close a chapter of tensions that have stretched across generations. The dispute, which first emerged decades ago, has cast a shadow over bilateral relations and cross-border cooperation between the two Central American neighbors. With this latest declaration, both governments have signaled their willingness to set aside historical tensions and pursue a peaceful, rules-based resolution to their shared conflict.