Guatemala has made a final appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to intervene in the ongoing sovereignty dispute between Belize and Honduras over the Sapodilla Cayes. The Central American nation argues that its long-standing territorial claim could be significantly impacted by the Court’s eventual ruling. The request was presented during a morning session at the Peace Palace in The Hague, presided over by ICJ President Judge Iwasawa. This marks Guatemala’s second round of oral arguments under Article 62 of the ICJ Statute. Representing Guatemala, Sir Michael Wood emphasized that the country’s legal interests are at stake, as a ruling favoring either Belize or Honduras could prejudice Guatemala’s claim. Wood dismissed Honduras’s objections as lacking legal reasoning and being repetitive, asserting that the case is a clear example of when Article 62 applies. Guatemala clarified that it is not seeking to introduce a new dispute with Honduras or reopen its existing case with Belize but aims to protect its legal claim over the cays. Honduras had previously argued that Guatemala’s intervention is unnecessary, given the ongoing Belize-Guatemala case. However, Wood countered that this is irrelevant, as the focus should be on whether Article 62’s conditions are met. Guatemala also refuted Honduras’s reliance on Article 59, which prevents ICJ rulings from binding third states, stating that a judgment can still affect a state’s legal interests without being binding. The country highlighted that the Belize-Honduras case introduces a new dimension to the territorial dispute, necessitating its intervention to address new legal arguments and documents. Guatemala’s Agent, Ambassador Ana Cristina Rodríguez Pineda, concluded by stressing that intervention would not only safeguard Guatemala’s interests but also assist the Court in reaching a more informed decision. The Court will continue hearings with Belize and Honduras presenting their arguments on Guatemala’s request.