Dr Danae Azaria (Associate Professor of Law and Principal Investigator of the ERC-funded State Silence project) appeared as counsel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the oral hearings of Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela) that took place from 4 to 11 May 2026. The case concerns the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the territorial boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, which has continued for more than 120 years.
Dr Azaria appeared on behalf of Venezuela during hearings at the Peace Palace on 6 May 2026. She presented arguments derived from her ERC-funded research project, State Silence (Grant ID: 850706). In her submissions, Dr Azaria addressed the interpretation of State conduct – including State silence – in light of the historical circumstances surrounding the dispute, including conditions of structural coercion during the late 18th and first half of the 19th centuries.
Her arguments drew directly on her research into the interpretation and legal significance of State silence in international law, including her recent book State Silence Across International Law: Meaning, Context, and Developments (Oxford University Press, 2025). This research forms part of the State Silence project, which Dr Azaria directs and which is funded by the ERC.
Dr Azaria’s representation of Venezuela to plead arguments drawing on her State silence research demonstrates the importance and impact of this scholarship. It highlights how States, as well as international courts and tribunals, rely on this research to protect their vital interests and address complex legal disputes.
