ICJ to Hear Guatemala’s Bid to Intervene in Belize-Honduras Territorial Dispute

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold oral hearings in November to decide whether to allow Guatemala to formally intervene in the ongoing territorial case between Belize and Honduras.

The ICJ has set the hearing for Monday, November 24, 2025, where judges will consider Guatemala’s application to participate in the case involving sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes, a group of small islands in Belize’s southern waters near Honduras.

Belize first filed the claim at the ICJ on November 16, 2022, asking the Court to rule that the Sapodilla Cayes rightfully belong to Belize and not Honduras. Belize submitted its written arguments (Memorial) in May 2023, and Honduras responded with its Counter-Memorial in December 2023. Both countries had agreed that no further written submissions were necessary.

However, Guatemala filed an application on December 1, 2023, to intervene in the proceedings, a move Belize did not oppose, but Honduras did. The Court must therefore decide whether Guatemala has a legal interest significant enough to join the case before the main hearings can move forward.

“The Office of the Agent (OOTA) has been working closely with the legal teams engaged for both territorial cases before the Court and will be prepared to effectively represent Belize’s interests at the November hearings.”