The International Court of Justice on Monday rejected a bid by landlocked Bolivia to force Chile to the negotiating table for access to the Pacific Ocean in a row dating back to the 19th century.

Bolivia lost its route to the sea in a 1879-1883 war with Chile, and Santiago has rejected every attempt since then by its smaller and poorer neighbour to win it back.

La Paz took Santiago to the top UN court in The Hague in 2013 over its bid to regain access to the sea, a long-running strain on relations between the two South American countries.

But the ICJ's judges ruled that Chile had no case to answer.

"The court by 12 votes to three finds that the Republic of Chile did not undertake a legal obligation to negotiate a sovereign access for the... state of Bolivia," judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said at the end of a judgment that took an hour and 20 minutes to read out.

Yusuf said, however, he hoped that "with willingness on the part of both parties meaningful negotiations can be undertaken."

Bolivia's leftist President Evo Morales - who is trying to win political capital at home through the issue as he seeks a fourth term in office - attended the court in person for the verdict.