Ceremony concerning the Special Agreement on the border dispute between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea
Cérémonie concernant le Compromis relatif au différend frontalier entre le Gabon et la Guinée équatoriale
On 3 March 2020, the Permanent Representatives of the Gabonese Republic and of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea to the United Nations exchanged their Government’s notifications of fulfillment of domestic procedures regarding the Special Agreement for submission to the International Court of Justice of the border dispute between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, thus bringing to an end a United Nations mediation process that lasted for over two decades.
Under the Special Agreement concluded by the Heads of States of the two countries on 15 November 2016, the International Court of Justice is requested to determine whether the legal titles, treaties, and international agreements invoked by the Parties are applicable to the relations between the Gabonese Republic and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea regarding the delimitation of their common maritime and territorial boundaries and the sovereignty over the Mbanié, Cocotiers and Conga islands.
The Secretary-General witnessed the ceremony, during which he commended both countries for demonstrating political leadership, courage, perseverance, and wisdom in completing their respective internal processes for the entry into force of the Special Agreement. This landmark Ceremony was also held in the presence of Ms. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Mr. Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General thanked all those involved in making possible the successful conclusion of this mediation process, notably the United Nations Mediators, Mr. Yves Fortier and Mr. Nicolas Michel, as well as the former Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the former Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Jeffrey Feltman and the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares.
In concluding his remarks, the Secretary-General expressed his sincere hope that the steps taken by both States would be a source of inspiration for other countries facing similar challenges, adding that the Parties, by submitting their dispute to the International Court of Justice, will demonstrate that a peaceful settlement of international disputes through international law is attainable.
The video of the Ceremony can be found at: https://www.unmultimedia.org/avlibrary/asset/2537/2537708/
