The oral arguments before the International Court of Justice to determine the sovereignty over the Sapodilla Caye Range continued today at the Hague in the Netherlands.
The Sapodillas are Belizean territory - but Guatemala and Honduras still lay claim to them.
Three years ago, Belize instituted proceedings against Honduras to dispose of their claims of sovereignty over the Cayes, and now Guatemala is has filed an Application for permission to intervene in the case.
That's what's being argued right now - and Belize has said it has no objection to Guatemala joining the applications. Here are some presentations from today:
Assad Shoman, Agent for Belize
"A range of cayes in the south of the Gulf of Honduras called the Sapodillas. There are disputes between Belize and each of Guatemala and Honduras concerning sovereignty over those cayes. For Belize, the pressing issue remains, the need for an efficient and complete resolution of all claims against Belize's territory by both Guatemala and Honduras."
"Belize considers that this objective will be best served by coordination of the two cases."
Ben Juratowich, Belize's Attorney
"For more than a century and a half, the United Kingdom exercised sovereign authority over the Sapodilla cayes openly, continuously and peacefully."
"And Honduras not only acquiesced in the assertions of sovereignty constituted by that conduct, but positively recognised British sovereignty. The result was that the settled position between Honduras and the United Kingdom in respect of the Sapadilla cayes was that the United Kingdom was sovereign and Honduras was not."
"In the case involving Guatemala's claims against Belize, the key subject of debate is the terms and effect of the 1859 Convention between Guatemala and the United Kingdom relative to the boundary of British Honduras and of the 1931 exchange of notes that followed it."
"That is a debate about treaties and again does not depend on the position before 1821. Members of the court, Guatemala made a number of surprising allegations against Belize yesterday regarding Belize's commencement and conduct of the present case."
"It is difficult to imagine that the court would be assisted by Belize responding to each of those allegations, so I will respond only to three that are relevant in the present context. The first is Guatemala's puzzling allegation that there was something improper about Belize commencing this case with Honduras."
"This was said by Guatemala to involve manoeuvres, a backdoor, and the pursuit of pre-judging. Belize's straightforward and legitimate motivation for commencing the present case was to achieve the complete resolution of all claims against its territory."
Honduras, for its part, rejects Guatemala's application to join.
It continues tomorrow with a second round of oral arguments from all parties. You can find a link to the full presentations on our web pages.
