BOLIVIA V. CHILE)

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE OBLIGATION TO NEGOTIATE ACCESS TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN (BOLIVIA v. CHILE) COUNTER-MEMORIAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE Volume 1 of 6 13 JULY 2016 COUNTER-MEMORIAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE PART I .................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................... 1 A. Introductory observations ............................................................... 1 B. The dispute over which the Court has taken jurisdiction ............... 8 C. Summary of Chile’s case and the structure of this Counter- Memorial ...................................................................................... 10 Chapter 2 Historical context.......................................................................... 17 A. The 1895 Treaties were “wholly without effect” ......................... 18 B. Bolivia’s inaccurate account of history ........................................ 21 Chapter 3 The enduring significance of the 1904 Peace Treaty ................... 33 A. The comprehensive character of the 1904 Peace Treaty .............. 35 B. Bolivia’s access to the sea ............................................................ 43 PART II............................................................................................................... 55 Chapter 4 The rules of international law governing this dispute .................. 55 A. Formation of obligations to negotiate........................................... 55 B. Determining the content of obligations to negotiate .................... 68 C. The legal framework for assessing Bolivia’s allegations of breach of an obligation to negotiate ............................................. 76 PART III ............................................................................................................. 81 Chapter 5 Diplomatic interactions from 1920 to 1926.................................. 83 A. The 1920 Minutes......................................................................... 84 B. Exchanges before the League of Nations ..................................... 87 C. The correspondence exchanged between Bolivia and Chile in 1923 .......................................................................................... 91 COUNTER-MEMORIAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE PART I .................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................... 1 A. Introductory observations ............................................................... 1 B. The dispute over which the Court has taken jurisdiction ............... 8 C. Summary of Chile’s case and the structure of this Counter- Memorial ...................................................................................... 10 Chapter 2 Historical context.......................................................................... 17 A. The 1895 Treaties were “wholly without effect” ......................... 18 B. Bolivia’s inaccurate account of history ........................................ 21 Chapter 3 The enduring significance of the 1904 Peace Treaty ................... 33 A. The comprehensive character of the 1904 Peace Treaty .............. 35 B. Bolivia’s access to the sea ............................................................ 43 PART II............................................................................................................... 55 Chapter 4 The rules of international law governing this dispute .................. 55 A. Formation of obligations to negotiate........................................... 55 B. Determining the content of obligations to negotiate .................... 68 C. The legal framework for assessing Bolivia’s allegations of breach of an obligation to negotiate ............................................. 76 PART III ............................................................................................................. 81 Chapter 5 Diplomatic interactions from 1920 to 1926.................................. 83 A. The 1920 Minutes......................................................................... 84 B. Exchanges before the League of Nations ..................................... 87 C. The correspondence exchanged between Bolivia and Chile in 1923 .......................................................................................... 91 i D. The 1926 Kellogg Proposal and the reactions of Chile and PART I Bolivia to it ................................................................................... 95 Chapter 6 Chile’s statement of openness to negotiate of 20 June 1950...... 101 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION A. Exchanges in the late 1940s........................................................ 102 A. Introductory observations B. The notes of June 1950............................................................... 105 1.1 The question in this case is whether Chile is under a legal obligation to C. Events subsequent to the June 1950 notes.................................. 113 negotiate with Bolivia on granting it sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. Chapter 7 The Charaña Process of 1975 to 1978........................................ 121 Chile is not under any such obligation. In arguing otherwise, Bolivia seeks A. The Joint Declaration of Charaña............................................... 124 to convert historical diplomatic exchanges and political discussions into B. Adoption of guidelines for negotiation, August-December legally binding commitments. At the time of those exchanges, as is plain 1975 ............................................................................................ 129 from their terms, neither State had any intention to create any legal C. Negotiations between Bolivia and Chile, and consultation obligation. Nor has either State acted since then as if there were a legal with Peru..................................................................................... 139 obligation to negotiate. Chapter 8 The OAS General Assembly resolutions.................................... 161 A. The OAS resolutions did not confirm or create any 1.2 The true position is that Chile entered into these exchanges as part of a obligation to negotiate ................................................................ 162 dialogue with its neighbour, not because of any legal obligation to do so. B. The process of rapprochement of 1983–1985 ............................ 174 Entering into negotiations does not create an obligation to negotiate again C. The “Fresh Approach” of 1986–1987 ........................................ 176 merely because one State becomes dissatisfied with the result. Chapter 9 Constructive engagement after the restoration of democracy in Chile ....................................................................................... 183 1.3 Bolivia is seeking to knit together into an ongoing legal obligation to A. A process of trust building.......................................................... 184 negotiate what are in fact sporadic diplomatic and political exchanges, B. The Algarve Declaration ............................................................ 187 and, occasionally, actual negotiations. These episodes punctuated longer C. Discussions regarding a potential Special Economic Zone........ 188 periods of silence. Only once, from 1975-1978, were there sustained D. The 13-Point Agenda.................................................................. 191 negotiations on the possible transfer from Chile to Bolivia of sovereignty E. The Political Consultations Mechanism ..................................... 192 over territory to grant Bolivia sovereign access to the Pacific. Even then, F. Discussions under point 6, the “maritime issue”........................ 193 this was on the basis of an exchange of territories, not a unilateral transfer as is now sought by Bolivia. Bolivia brought those negotiations to an end G. Bolivia’s change in position ....................................................... 196 and ruptured diplomatic relations with Chile in 1978. PART IV............................................................................................................ 201 1.4 After the restoration of democracy in Chile in 1990, the two States engaged in constructive dialogue on a range of issues between them, Chapter 10 Conclusion and Submission........................................................ 201 including what they together labelled the “maritime issue”. Neither State raised any supposed legal obligation to negotiate until 2011, when Bolivia ii D. The 1926 Kellogg Proposal and the reactions of Chile and PART I Bolivia to it ................................................................................... 95 Chapter 6 Chile’s statement of openness to negotiate of 20 June 1950...... 101 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION A. Exchanges in the late 1940s........................................................ 102 A. Introductory observations B. The notes of June 1950............................................................... 105 1.1 The question in this case is whether Chile is under a legal obligation to C. Events subsequent to the June 1950 notes.................................. 113 negotiate with Bolivia on granting it sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. Chapter 7 The Charaña Process of 1975 to 1978.......................................

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