A map of Guyana prior the Paris Arbitral Award of 1899.
The Paris Arbitral Award of 1899 was a significant event in the history of the territorial dispute between Venezuela and British Guiana (now Guyana). Issued on October 3, 1899, by an arbitral tribunal convened in Paris, the award aimed to resolve the long-standing border conflict between the two nations
The tribunal was established following the Arbitral Treaty of Washington, D.C., signed on February 2, 1897. The United States represented Venezuela, while the United Kingdom represented British Guiana. The tribunal’s decision was intended to be a “full, perfect, and final” resolution of the boundary dispute.
Despite the award, Venezuela later contested its validity, leading to ongoing disputes and the signing of the Geneva Agreement in 1966.