Cambodia Invokes UNCLOS for Maritime Dispute with Thailand

Cambodia has officially initiated conciliation proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve its long-standing maritime boundary dispute with Thailand. This move follows Thailand's unilateral cancellation of a 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 5, 2026. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Prak Sokhonn, representing Cambodia, attended the first meeting of the Conciliation Commission in Singapore. He was joined by the Thai delegation led by H.E. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Katrina Cooper, President of the Conciliation Commission, with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) serving as the registry. Thailand's unilateral abrogation of the 2001 MoU effectively ended the sole bilateral framework for negotiations concerning their overlapping maritime claims. In response, the Cambodian government, under Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, decided to invoke the compulsory conciliation mechanism stipulated under UNCLOS, to which both nations are State Parties. This step is not seen as an escalation of tensions but rather as an effort to bring negotiations into a structured, rules-based international framework, with the assistance of independent international conciliators to facilitate a peaceful resolution. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced that the opening statements by both Cambodia and Thailand at the commission's first meeting will be open to the public and webcast live in Khmer, English, and Thai, and will also be broadcast on Cambodian national television. H.E. Prak Sokhonn is scheduled to deliver Cambodia's opening statement at 8:00 a.m. Cambodia time on September 15, 2026. This action underscores Cambodia's commitment to resolving territorial and economic rights through international legal mechanisms, ushering in a new diplomatic and legal chapter in its relations with Thailand. Source: AKP Cambodia