King Sihamoni Backs Conscription Law, UNCLOS Ratification

His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni has expressed his satisfaction with the recent adoption of the Law on Compulsory Military Service and the ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), describing them as a strong foundation for national defence. In a royal message released to mark the opening of the 6th session of the National Assembly’s 7th legislature on July 1, the King stated that he was pleased with the many significant achievements reached by the leadership and members of the National Assembly during the recent recess. “The recent adoption of the Law on Compulsory Military Service and the ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are appropriate and of the utmost importance in strengthening the foundations of national defence, protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, and enhancing the management and utilisation of maritime areas and resources. Furthermore, they serve to cultivate a spirit of patriotism among the younger generations,” said the message. Cambodia officially ratified UNCLOS on January 16, 2026, and deposited the instruments of ratification with the UN on February 6. The primary objective of this ratification is to protect national interests, as Cambodia will not recognise any foreign maritime claims that contradict its own sovereignty and jurisdiction. Thailand, led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, decided on May 5 to unilaterally scrap the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cambodia, effectively closing a bilateral negotiation channel that had existed for 25 years. In response to the developments from the Thai side, Prime Minister Hun Manet announced the initiation of compulsory conciliation procedures under UNCLOS on June 2, asserting that Cambodia had no choice but to pursue this peaceful legal mechanism. “This is not an escalation of the situation; rather, it is a facilitated negotiation between the two nations, overseen by international experts. This is not a unilateral action, but an effort to resolve the dispute peacefully through international law and in the spirit of good faith,” he said, on June 2. Cambodia and Thailand have each selected two conciliators. Cambodia has chosen Peter Taksøe-Jensen, a Danish diplomat, and Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin, a French maritime law expert. Thailand has selected German maritime law specialist Rüdiger Wolfrum and South African expert Albert Hoffman. According to the conciliation mechanism, the two parties must agree on a fifth member to serve as the chairperson within the next two weeks. The Law on Compulsory Military Service was promulgated on May 23. It requires all selected Cambodian male citizens aged 18 to 25 to fulfil two years of service and remain as reserve personnel until they reach the age of 45. While praising the leadership of the prime minister and National Assembly president Khuon Sudary, the King also called on the Cambodian people to continue to unite as one “Great Khmer Family”. He urged them to maintain a spirit of sincere patriotism and to offer their full trust and support to the Royal Government in defending sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolving border issues peacefully based on international law, and building a more prosperous and advanced Cambodian motherland through continued institutional reform and modernisation, centred on the people.