World Court rules it has jurisdiction in Guyana-Venezuela border dispute

The World Court on Friday ruled it has jurisdiction to hear a dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over the demarcation of their land border, which may ultimately determine which has rights to offshore oil and gas fields.

The World Court on Friday ruled it has jurisdiction to hear a dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over the demarcation of their land border, which may ultimately determine which has rights to offshore oil and gas fields. In a 12-4 decision, judges at the U.N. court, formally known as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), found that they have jurisdiction to hear a suit brought by Guyana arguing the border was established by an 1899 arbitration between Venezuela and the then-colony of British Guiana.

Venezuela's government had argued the international court had no jurisdiction and it prefers direct talks with Guyana over its claims to a huge, sparsely populated area west of the Essequibo River. The court has not yet set a date for arguments on the merits of Guyana's case.

The ICJ is the United Nations' court for resolving disputes between states.