ICJ / COSTA RICA NICARAGUA RULING
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STORY: ICJ / COSTA RICA NICARAGUA RULING
TRT: 01:39
SOURCE: ICJ
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 16 DECEMBER 2015, THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS
16 DECEMBER 2015, THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS
1. Wide shot, exterior International Court of Justice (ICJ)
2. Med shot, United Nations flag
3. Various shots, judges reading proceedings
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ronny Abraham, President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ):
“Sovereignty over the disputed territory thus belongs to Costa Rica. It is not contested that Nicaragua carried out various activities in the disputed territory since 2010, including excavating three caños (channels) and establishing a military presence in parts of that territory.”
5. Various shots, Nicaraguan delegation
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ronny Abraham, President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ):
“These activities were in breach of Costa Rica’s territorial sovereignty. Nicaragua is responsible for these breaches and consequently incurs the obligation to make reparation for the damage caused by its unlawful activities, as will be discussed later.”
7. Various shots, Costa Rican delegation
8. Wide shot, exterior ICJ
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations’ highest court. ruled today (16 Dec) Nicaragua must compensate Costa Rica for violations of its neighbour’s sovereign territory.
The Court ruled fourteen votes to two that Costa Rica had sovereignty over the disputed territory, the wetlands near the mouth of the San Juan River, and voted unanimously that by excavating three caños (channels) and establishing a military presence on Costa Rican territory, Nicaragua had violated the country’s territorial sovereignty.
“Sovereignty over the disputed territory thus belongs to Costa Rica," ICJ President Ronny Abraham said.
The Court found that Costa Rica was entitled to receive compensation for the material damage caused by Nicaraguan breaches.
“These activities were in breach of Costa Rica’s territorial sovereignty. Nicaragua is responsible for these breaches and consequently incurs the obligation to make reparation for the damage caused by its unlawful activities, as will be discussed later,” Abraham added.
The Court advised the parties to engage in negotiations in order to reach an agreement on the amount of the compensation. However, if they fail to reach such an agreement within 12 months, the Court said it would determine the amount at the request of either party.
In a Nicaragua’s countersuit, the ICJ voted unanimously that Costa Rica had violated its obligation under general international law, to carry out an environmental impact assessment concerning the construction of Route 1856 along the San Juan river.