The Government of Nicaragua has reaffirmed its commitment to respect for the International Rule of Law, recognizing the judgment issued on 13 July by the International Court of Justice (ICJ)in The Hague, and demands that Colombia also recognize all the failures of the legal body.
The Government of Reconciliation and National Unity reaffirms its firm commitment to the rule of law at the international level and the peaceful settlement of disputes between States and recognizes this judgment as firm, final and binding», notes the Nicaraguan executive statement.
In that regard, Nicaragua wishes to point out that its appeal to the highest Court of Justice, and its repeated presence before the ICJ, since 1984, «is a tangible sign of that commitment». And he emphasized that he hopes that Colombia «recognizes the value and effectiveness of all the judgments of the Court, in particular the judgment issued in 2012».
Nicaragua: Recent lawsuits against Colombia before the ICJ
In its pronouncement, the government of the president, Daniel Ortega, detailed that of the two most recent demands against Colombia, in the first, «submitted for the consideration of the Court the violations by Colombia of the maritime spaces of Nicaragua, as recognized by the Judgment of the Court of November 19, 2012».
In that context, he recalled: In a judgment of April 21, 2022, the Court accepted Nicaragua’s request, declaring that Colombia implemented a State policy that violated Nicaragua’s jurisdiction and sovereign rights and ordered Colombia to cease its illegal conduct.
Likewise, the High Court confirmed that Nicaragua has not violated any historic fishing rights of the San Andrés and Providencia Archipelago. At the same time, the Court recognized as positive the gesture of the Government of Nicaragua in expressing interest in addressing the situation of the archipelago’s native population bilaterally through an agreement.
ICJ reaffirms 2012 ruling in favor of Nicaragua
Referring to the second demand made by Nicaragua, on which the recent ruling of the ICJ was issued, the Nicaraguan authorities said that it deals with maritime delimitation beyond 200 miles. » The Court reaffirmed Nicaragua’s right to its 200 miles of exclusive economic zone and continental shelf with all its natural resources intact as determined since 2012″.
In addition, the specific ruling that a State is entitled to all of its 200 miles of continental shelf as recognized to Nicaragua, but that a continental shelf beyond 200 miles could not cut another State’s 200 miles.
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The Nicaraguan government explained that since this issue was not resolved in the Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Court of Justice of the ICJ took the decision based on the practice of some States that it considered established a new rule of customary law.
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This ruling provides for areas of Nicaragua’s continental shelf that extend beyond 200 miles and affect areas within 200 miles of Colombia. The ruling does not affect Nicaragua’s rights to its continental shelf beyond 200 miles in other areas of the Caribbean,» said the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua.
