A Question of Sovereignty: Bahrain, Qatar, and the International Court of Justice

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Summary

This case study examines the development and eventual resolution of a long-standing territorial dispute between two small Arab states, Bahrain and Qatar. The dispute turned into a conflict in which...

This case study examines the development and eventual resolution of a long-standing territorial dispute between two small Arab states, Bahrain and Qatar. The dispute turned into a conflict in which traditional mediation did not succeed, but formal international adjudication did. The decision of those two small states to subject themselves voluntarily to a binding verdict, one not subject to appeal, is remarkable in its own right. Part A describes the background to the conflict, the key leaders involved, the issues at stake, and the initial International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that it had jurisdiction to rule on the dispute. The verdict is described in Part B. The generational change represented by the Bahraini and Qatari leaders, both new, allows consideration of the importance of individual actors in such disputes. The case study also illustrates the fact that seemingly insignificant disputes can be complicated. The case study can be used in specialized courses in conflict resolution or international law, an introductory international politics class, or a Middle East politics course. It is appropriate for all collegiate levels; however, students would be well served by having modest knowledge of either international law or the Middle East before tackling this case. Another case on a similar topic, which could be usefully assigned, is “Beagle Channel Negotiations” (Case Study 135).

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