The fourth Quarterly Report of 2023 covers the following range of topics:

Guyana–Venezuela Land & Maritime Dispute

On 23 October 2023, the Venezuela approved the hosting of a referendum to ascertain whether the Venezuelan public supports its land dispute with Guyana over the Essequibo Region at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Guyana immediately requested that the ICJ  help prevent Venezuela’s attempts to undermine the Court’s authority to settle the dispute.

United States Extended Continental Shelf Claim

On 19 December 2023, the United States State Department announced the geographic coordinates that define its claims to the extended continental shelf (ECS).

Dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh

A coordinated and swift attack by Azerbaijani forces has led 80 percent of the population of the Republic of Artsakh, to flee back to Armenia. Tensions surrounding Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, have always been high, with numerous conflicts breaking out over time between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Additional Boundary Updates

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out in October, the latest version of a conflict that has marked a century of violence between Jews and Arabs in the region. Hamas fighters entered Israel from Gaza and launched an attack, and the next day, Israel declared war on Hamas with the stated intention of eradicating the organization. As of 22 December 2023, Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza has killed approximately 20,000 people, with another 6,700 missing.

Learn more in our update