Cambodia-Thailand UNCLOS Conciliation Meeting on Maritime Boundary Dispute Concludes

Cambodia and Thailand concluded a meeting of the Conciliation Committee under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on September 14, 2026, in Singapore, addressing their maritime boundary dispute. The meeting was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn for Cambodia and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow for Thailand. Presided over by Conciliation Committee Chairperson Katrina Cooper, the session also involved the Registry of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Cambodia's decision to pursue UNCLOS conciliation stemmed from Thailand's unilateral abrogation of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning the overlapping claims in the continental shelf, which occurred on May 5, 2026. Despite Cambodia's repeated requests for reconsideration, Thailand's action dissolved the sole bilateral negotiation mechanism between the two nations. Consequently, the Cambodian government, under Prime Minister Hun Manet, opted for the "compulsory conciliation" mechanism under UNCLOS, to which both countries are parties. The Cambodian government clarified that this compulsory conciliation is not intended to escalate tensions or abandon negotiations. Instead, it aims to bring the discussions into an international framework that is structured and based on law, facilitated by independent international conciliators. The first meeting of the UNCLOS Conciliation Committee included opening statements from both Cambodian and Thai delegations. Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, as Cambodia's agent, is scheduled to deliver his opening statement on the morning of Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 8:00 AM (Cambodia time). This statement will be webcast live in Khmer, English, and Thai, and will also be broadcast on Cambodian national television. Source: CEN Cambodia