International Court of Justice issues notification for Public Hearing from 24th to 26th November.

The International Court of Justice will hold public hearings on Guatemala’s Application for permission to intervene in the case concerning Sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes / Cayos Zapotillos (Belize v. Honduras) from Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 November 2025 at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

It is recalled that on 16 November 2022, Belize instituted proceedings against Honduras with regard to a dispute concerning sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes, which it describes as a group of cays lying in the Gulf of Honduras, at the southern tip of the Belize Barrier Reef. Belize requests the Court “to adjudge and declare that, as between Belize and Honduras, Belize is sovereign over the Sapodilla Cayes”.

On 1 December 2023, Guatemala, referring to Article 62 of the Statute of the Court, filed an Application for permission to intervene in the case. According to Guatemala, Belize’s submission in this case overlaps with its submissions in another case pending before the Court, namely, the case concerning Guatemala’s Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim (Guatemala/Belize).

In the latter case, both Belize and Guatemala claim sovereignty over the Sapodillas. In its Application for permission to intervene, Guatemala contends that it has “a clear interest of a legal nature in the

Belize v. Honduras case since, it has a longstanding claim of sovereignty over the Sapodillas, which is part of the subject-matter of the pending Guatemala / Belize case before the Court”, and which may be affected by a decision of the Court in the present case.

Schedule for the hearings –

The schedule for the hearings is as follows:

• Monday, 24th November 2025 10 AM-11.30 AM: First round of oral argument (Guatemala).

• Tuesday, 25th November 2025 10 AM-1 PM: First round of oral argument (Belize; Honduras).

• Wednesday, 26th November 2025 10 AM-10.45 AM: Second round of oral argument (Guatemala).

• Wednesday, 26th November 2025: 4 PM-5.30 PM: Second round of oral argument (Belize; Honduras).

Team Maverick