Argentine-Chile Frontier Case, Court of Arbitration: Records

This series contains memorials, documents and maps submitted submitted by the governments of Argentina and Chile to the Court of Arbitration appointed by H M Government in 1965 to solve a dispute over part of the boundary. There are also transcripts of hearings, a copy of the award and a report on the work of the Demarcation Mission.

For minutes of the meetings, the Technical Commission Report and the final report see FO 16/360

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Maps and plans

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By an agreement between the governments of Chile and the Argentine Republic signed on 17 April 1896, the parties agreed to submit to the arbitration of Her Britannic Majesty's Government any dispute arising in connexion with the fixing of the boundary marks in the Cordilleras of the Andes to the south of latitude 26° 52' 45". Disputes arose over certain sections of the boundary in 1898 and Queen Victoria appointed a Tribunal to examine, consider and report.

The Tribunal met for the first time on 27 March 1899, a Technical Commission surveyed the frontier between January and July 1902, and at the ninth meeting on 19 November 1902 the report and accompanying maps were approved and signed. A formal award, signed by H.M. King Edward VII, was given the next day.

Dispute arose over a small section of the award and on 2 March 1965 H.M. Government appointed a Court of Arbitration composed of Lord McNair as President, Mr. L.P. Kirwan and Brigadier K.M. Papworth; with Professor D.H.N. Johnson as Registrar.

Article I of the Agreement for Arbitration asked them to consider and report on the question - "To the extent, if any, that the course of the boundary between the territories of the parties in the sector between boundary posts 16 and 17 has remained unsettled since the 1902 award, what, on the proper interpretation and fulfilment of that award, is the course of the boundary in that sector?" The report was issued on 24 November 1966 and the award was signed by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II on 9 December 1966.