World Court Allows Nicaragua-Colombia Maritime Mineral Rights Case
The International Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that it had jurisdiction over a maritime dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua concerning the legal boundaries of potentially oil-rich areas of the Caribbean Sea.
Judges at the United Nations' highest court in The Hague ruled that Colombia was obliged to contest a case brought by Nicaragua under the 1948 Bogota Pact, to which both countries are signatories.
The case was brought in 2013 by Nicaragua, which claimed its maritime territorial rights had been violated by Colombian vessels harassing its shipping. Colombia sought to block the case, arguing it did not fall under the court's jurisdiction.
(Reporting By Thomas Escritt)