Cambodia Seeks UNCLOS Committee Mediation for Maritime Boundary Delimitation with Thailand

Cambodian Deputy Prime Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prak Sokhonn, stated on September 15, 2026, that Cambodia's foremost objective is to achieve a solution that benefits the people of both Cambodia and Thailand, and contributes to peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity in the region. This was declared during the opening of a meeting with the Conciliation Commission of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the Republic of Singapore. Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn emphasized that to achieve this goal, Cambodia intends to sign a treaty with Thailand, with the support of the Commission and in accordance with international law, to establish a single, comprehensive maritime boundary between the two countries. He further clarified, "As an alternative, Cambodia is prepared to enter into an agreement with Thailand for joint development and equitable sharing of resources during the interim period while awaiting a final agreement on maritime boundaries." In addition, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn added that if a final agreement cannot be reached on both maritime boundaries and joint development, Cambodia requests the Commission to prepare a report with recommendations for both parties to use as a basis for future negotiations to achieve these agreements, in accordance with the obligations of both parties under UNCLOS.