Guatemala and Belize signed a joint declaration in which they requested the Organization of American States (OAS) to support the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as the verification of incidents in the Adjacency Zone.
According to the OAS, both countries declared their full respect for the purposes and principles of the Charters of the United Nations and the OAS, including respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and non-intervention in the internal affairs of States, the prohibition of the threat or use of force and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
In this sense, they asked the General Secretariat of the OAS, with the support of the Group of Friends and the international community, to play a facilitating and accompaniment role for the parties within the framework of the current agreements, as well as any future agreements that they may conclude.
They reiterated their full respect for international law and the obligation to accept the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as final and binding, and to comply with and implement it fully and in good faith.
In the declaration they recognized the important role and sustained contribution of the OAS in promoting peace, stability and trust between the parties, including the essential support provided by the OAS General Secretariat through the Office in the Adjacency Zone.
They also highlighted that the adaptation and strengthening of the OAS presence in the post-ruling phase must be defined by the parties, taking into account the scope of the current mandate of the Office in the Adjacency Zone.
A valuable partner
Both declared that the OAS constitutes a valuable and trustworthy partner for both countries. In that sense, they called on the General Secretariat to continue exercising its mandate in accordance with the Agreement on a Negotiation Framework and Confidence-Building Measures of 2005.
Likewise, they highlighted the accumulated experience and the technical and institutional capacities developed by the OAS throughout this process, particularly through the Office in the Adjacency Zone and its work with the communities and institutions of both countries.
In this context, they agreed on the importance of continuing to count on the institutional support of the General Secretariat of the OAS in the stages that correspond after the ruling of the ICJ, in consultation with the parties and in accordance with the decisions they adopt.
For the joint statement, the governments of Belize and Guatemala were represented by the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Culture, Science and Technology of Belize and the minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala.
The declaration was made on June 24, 2026 in Panama City, on the occasion of the fifty-sixth regular session of the OAS General Assembly.
Prior to the declaration, they also recalled 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.
In addition, they mentioned the Agreement on a Negotiation Framework and Confidence Building Measures of 2005 and the Special Agreement of 2008 to submit Guatemala’s territorial, insular and maritime claim to the ICJ for final adjudication, as well as its 2015 Protocol.
They urge the General Secretariat
- Continue to provide support in the full and effective implementation of the Agreement on a Negotiating Framework and Confidence-Building Measures of 2005 and the measures contained therein.
- Support efforts to advance the implementation of the Placencia Agreements as a basis for strengthening bilateral cooperation.
- Support both countries in their efforts before the international community and donors to guarantee the operational continuity of the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone until the ruling is issued.
- Develop and strengthen national and bilateral capacities in agreed areas of cooperation for the full implementation of the ruling, such as territorial demarcation, in accordance with the agreements reached.
- Provide support to Guatemala and Belize, as provided in the 2008 Special Agreement.
- Support the prevention and resolution of conflicts and the verification of incidents, in accordance with current agreements and with the mandate of the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone.
- Support the mobilization of resources and everything related to the implementation of the ruling, according to what both countries agree to and require from the OAS.
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