Barbados v. Trinidad and Tobago
Encyclopedia
Barbados v. Trinidad and Tobago was a 2006 case between Barbados
and Trinidad and Tobago
before the Permanent Court of Arbitration
in which the court resolved the maritime
border
dispute between the two countries.
In 1990, Venezuela
and Trinidad and Tobago signed a martime boundary treaty
. The treaty purported to assign to Trinidad and Tobago ocean territory that Barbados claimed as its own. The countries were unable to resolve their dispute for 14 years. In 2004, Barbados elected to force the issue into binding arbitration under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Permanent Court of Arbitration heard the case. The case was presided over by Judge Stephen Schwebel, with Ian Brownlie
, Vaughan Lowe
, Francisco Orrego Vicuña, and Sir Arthur Watts also acting as arbitrators.
The court's ruling and award was issued on 11 April 2006. The boundary that was set was nearly midway between the land of the two island countries. Although neither country's claimed boundary was adopted by the court, the boundary that was set was closest to that claimed by Trinidad and Tobago. Both countries claimed victory after the arbitration ruling was announced.
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
before the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
in which the court resolved the maritime
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
dispute between the two countries.
In 1990, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Trinidad and Tobago signed a martime boundary treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
. The treaty purported to assign to Trinidad and Tobago ocean territory that Barbados claimed as its own. The countries were unable to resolve their dispute for 14 years. In 2004, Barbados elected to force the issue into binding arbitration under the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Permanent Court of Arbitration heard the case. The case was presided over by Judge Stephen Schwebel, with Ian Brownlie
Ian Brownlie
Sir Ian Brownlie, CBE, QC, FBA was a British practising barrister, specialising in international law. After an education at Hertford College, Oxford, he was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1958 and was a tenant at Blackstone Chambers from 1983 until his death on 3 January 2010.During his...
, Vaughan Lowe
Vaughan Lowe
Alan Vaughan Lowe QC is a leading barrister and academic specialising in the field of international law. He has been Chichele Professor of Public International Law in the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, since 1999...
, Francisco Orrego Vicuña, and Sir Arthur Watts also acting as arbitrators.
The court's ruling and award was issued on 11 April 2006. The boundary that was set was nearly midway between the land of the two island countries. Although neither country's claimed boundary was adopted by the court, the boundary that was set was closest to that claimed by Trinidad and Tobago. Both countries claimed victory after the arbitration ruling was announced.