December8,2008Today,attheheadquartersoftheOrganizationofAmericanStates(OAS),theMinisterofForeignAffairsofBelize,WilfredElrington,andtheMinisterofForeignAffairsofGuatemala,RogerHaroldoRodasMelgar,signedaSpecialAgreementtosubmitGuatemala’sterritorial,insular,andmaritimeclaimtotheInternationalCourtofJustice.Inajointstatementsignedatthesameceremony,bothMinistersofForeignAffairs“congratulatedeachotheronthesigningoftheSpecialAgreement,asrecommendedbytheOASSecretaryGeneral,subjecttotheapprovalofthecitizensofthetwocountriesexpressedinreferendums.”ElringtonandRodasMelgarexpressedtheir“profoundappreciationtotheOrganizationofAmericanStates(OAS)and,inparticular,toitsSecretaryGeneral,JoséMiguelInsulza,fortheireffectiveandsustainedworkofmediationandfollow‐uptothenegotiationprocessbetweenthetwoStates”andtheyunderscored“thevaluablesupportoftheGroupofFriends,whoprovidedcommitment,cooperation,andassistancethroughoutthenegotiations.”TheSecretaryGeneralunderscoredtheimportanceoftheoccasionandpointedoutthat“theAgreementsignedtodayattheheadquartersoftheOAS,whichis,asIalwayssay,hometoalltheinhabitantsoftheAmericas,constitutesatrueexpressionofoneoftheprincipalmissionsofourOrganization:topromotein‐depthunderstanding,harmoniousrelations,andpeaceinourcountries.”InsulzamentionedthatthesigningoftheSpecialAgreementistheculminationofaprocessthatdatesbackto2000,whenthegovernmentsofBelizeandGuatemala“decidedtoresumedialogueregardingtheirlongstandingterritorialdifferendumundertheauspicesoftheOASGeneralSecretariat.”Herecalledthatduringthatdialogue“therewasaveryspecialmoment,onSeptember7,2005,whentheMinistersofForeignAffairsofthetwocountriesmet,alsoatOASheadquarters,tosigntheAgreementonaFrameworkforNegotiationsandConfidenceBuildingMeasures,inwhichtheycommittedtobeginninganewroundofnegotiationsundertheauspicesoftheOASGeneralSecretariat.Todaythatnegotiationprocessiscomingtoasatisfactoryend,”saidtheheadoftheHemisphere’shighestpoliticalbody.TheMinisterofForeignAffairsofGuatemaladeclaredthatthesigningoftheSpecialAgreementmarked“ahistoricday,becauseweareconcludingapoliticaldecisioninordertofindadefinitivesolutiontoourdifferendumwithBelize,andwearebeginningaprocessthat,regardlessofitsoutcome,willenablethegovernmentsandpeoplesofthesetwocountriestoactinamannerthatbefitsthestartoftheTwenty‐firstCentury.”TheMinisterofForeignAffairsofBelizeusedtheword“milestone”todescribean

agreementwhich,hesaid,wouldmakeitpossibletosettlealongstandingdisputebetweenhiscountryandGuatemala.“Thisisaneraofdemocratization,andwhileweintheGovernmenthaveagreedthatthedifferendumshouldbesubmittedtotheInternationalCourtofJustice,bothgovernments,thatofBelizeandthatofGuatemala,havedecidedandagreedthatitistherightoftheirpeoplestotakeafinaldecisiononthismatter."Article7oftheSpecialAgreementestablishesthatbothPartiescommittomakingthearrangementsprovidedforintheirrespectivedomesticsystemsforsubmittingtoareferendumthedecisiontoasktheInternationalCourtofJusticetosettletheterritorialdifferendum.TheplebisciteswilltakeplacesimultaneouslyinbothcountriesonadateagreeduponbytheParties.OncethedifferendumhasbeensubmittedforconsiderationbytheInternationalCourtofJustice,the“PartiesshallacceptthedecisionoftheCourtasfinalandbinding,inaccordancewithArticle1,andshallundertaketocarryitoutinfullandingoodfaith.Specifically,thePartiesagreethat,withinthreemonthsfollowingthedateoftheCourt’sruling,theyshallagreeonthecompositionandtermsofreferenceofaBinationalCommissionthatwillproceedtodemarcatetheirbordersinaccordancewiththedecisionoftheCourt.”Attheendoftheceremony,theSecretaryGeneralcongratulatedGuatemalaandBelize“forhavingreachedthisbrilliantAgreement,”andhethankedallthosewho“inonewayoranotherhelpedbringaboutthishappyoutcome.”“IreiteratetheGeneralSecretariat’scommitmenttocontinuesupportinginitiativesconducivetounderstandingamongthepeoplesoftheHemisphere,”hesaid.Attendingtheceremonywere,inadditiontotheSecretaryGeneral,theAssistantSecretaryGeneral,AmbassadorAlbertRamdin;theChairoftheOASPermanentCouncilandRepresentativeofBoliviatotheOrganization,AmbassadorReynaldoCuadros;andanumerousgroupofambassadors,permanentobservers,andseniorstaffmembersoftheOrganization.