Joint Declaration of the Government of Belize and the Government of the Republic of Guatemala

Background

Joint Declaration of the Government of Belize and the Government of the Republic of Guatemala

The original signed document is available here.

We, the governments of Belize and of the Republic of Guatemala, represented by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Culture, Science and Technology of Belize and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, hereinafter referred to as "the Parties", meeting on June 24, 2026, in Panama City, on the occasion of the Fifty-Sixth Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Have agreed to issue the following Joint Declaration:

Reaffirming our full respect for the purposes and principles of the Charters of the United Nations and of the Organization of American States, including respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States, the prohibition of the threat or use of force, and the peaceful settlement of disputes;

Recalling the set of agreements signed between the Parties within the framework of the process, including the Agreement to Establish a Transition Process and Confidence Building Measures of 2003; the Agreement on a Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures of 2005; and the Special Agreement of 2008 to Submit Guatemala's Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its final adjudication, as well as its Protocol of 2015;

Reiterating our full respect for international law and our obligation, to accept the decision of the ICJ as final and binding, and to comply with and implement it in full and in good faith;

Recognizing the important role and sustained contribution of the OAS in promoting peace, stability and confidence between the Parties, including the essential support provided by the General Secretariat of the OAS (GS/OAS) through the Office in the Adjacency Zone;

Recognizing the valuable support provided by the international community and the Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala, particularly the European Union and other donors, whose sustained cooperation over more than two decades has contributed significantly to preserving peace and strengthening confidence between both countries;

Recognizing further that the adaptation and strengthening of the presence of the GS/OAS in the post-Judgment phase is to be defined by the Parties, taking into account the scope of the mandate of the Office in the Adjacency Zone;

Emphasizing that the present Declaration is framed within the commitments previously undertaken;
Declare as follows:

The OAS is a valuable and trusted partner for the Parties. In this regard, we call upon the General Secretariat to continue exercising its mandate in accordance with the Agreement on a Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures of 2005.

Furthermore, the Parties underscore accumulated experience and the technical and institutional capacities developed by the GS/OAS throughout this process, particularly through the Office in the Adjacency Zone and its work with the communities and institutions of both countries. In that context, we agree on the importance of continuing to avail ourselves of the institutional support of the GS/OAS in the stages that may be required following the Judgment of the ICJ, in consultation with the Parties and in accordance with the decisions we adopt.

We urge the General Secretariat of the OAS to:

1. Continue supporting the full and effective implementation of the 2005 Agreement on a Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures and the measures contained therein;

2. Support the efforts of the Parties to advance the implementation of the Placencia Agreements as a basis for strengthening bilateral cooperation;

3. Support the Parties in their efforts before the international community and partners to ensure the operational continuity of the Office of the OAS in the Adjacency Zone until the issuance of the Judgment;

4. Develop and strengthen national and bilateral capacities in areas of cooperation agreed for the full implementation of the Judgement, such as territorial demarcation, in accordance with the agreements reached by the Parties;

5. Support the Parties, in accordance with the provisions set forth in the 2008 Special Agreement, in relation to the Binational Commission established in Article 5 thereof, in all matters agreed upon by the Parties;

6. Support the Parties in conflict prevention and resolution and in the verification of incidents, in accordance with the existing agreements and the mandate of the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone;

7. Support the Parties in the mobilization of resources and in all that relates to the implementation of the Judgment, in accordance with what the Parties agree upon and require of the Organization of American States.

In this regard, we request that the General Secretariat of the OAS, with the support of the Group of Friends and the international community, play a facilitating and accompanying role for the Parties in fulfilling the obligations arising from the judgment, within the framework of the existing agreements between Belize and Guatemala, as well as future agreements that they may conclude.


The original signed document is available here.

Reference: S-015/26