Japan Offers Legal Support to Bolster Cambodia's Maritime Law Capacity

Japan has expressed its readiness to dispatch legal experts to Cambodia to help strengthen the country’s capacity in international maritime law, particularly under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as Phnom Penh pursues a compulsory conciliation process with Thailand over maritime boundary disputes. Speaking during a question-and-answer session at the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE) on July 20, outgoing Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Ueno Atsushi said Tokyo was prepared to expand legal cooperation with Cambodia should the government request technical assistance. Responding to a question on whether Japan could support Cambodia in navigating the increasingly complex legal issues surrounding UNCLOS, Ueno said Japan already has extensive experience providing legal cooperation and would welcome further collaboration. “If requested by the Cambodian government, yes,” Ueno said. “Japan has many legal experts who have supported legal development in Cambodia for many years,” he added. The ambassador noted that Japanese legal cooperation has historically focused on Cambodia’s domestic legal system, including civil and criminal law, but said such assistance could be expanded to international law if needed. “Historically, we have supported Cambodia’s legal development, mainly domestic law, such as the Civil Code and Criminal Code,” he said. “If requested, maybe we can consider expanding our assistance to international law,” he continued. Cambodia formally ratified UNCLOS in 2026, becoming one of the latest states to accede to the convention, a move that Ueno described as significant for the country’s engagement with international maritime law. “It is a very timely question because Cambodia ratified UNCLOS this year,” he said. While acknowledging that Japan possesses considerable expertise in the convention, Ueno stressed that any assistance would depend entirely on Cambodia’s own request. “We have many experts on UNCLOS in Japan. If Cambodia requests our assistance, perhaps we can dispatch legal experts to strengthen capacity on international law,” he clarified. The remarks come as Cambodia continues pursuing compulsory conciliation under Annex V of UNCLOS after Thailand unilaterally terminated the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding governing maritime negotiations. Cambodian officials have repeatedly maintained that the legal process concerns maritime delimitation only and does not replace bilateral negotiations over the two countries’ land boundary. Earlier in the discussion, Ueno reaffirmed Japan’s longstanding support for resolving international disputes through peaceful means and in accordance with international law. “Our basic position is that disputes should be resolved peacefully, either through bilateral mechanisms or international legal frameworks,” he said. He cited mechanisms such as the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Border Commission (JBC) alongside UNCLOS procedures as examples of peaceful avenues available to the two countries. Japan has been one of Cambodia’s closest development partners in the legal sector since the early 1990s, playing a central role in rebuilding the country’s judicial institutions after decades of conflict. Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tokyo has assisted Cambodia in drafting its Civil Code and Code of Civil Procedure, strengthening judicial training, improving court administration and developing legal education. Japanese legal scholars and practitioners have also worked closely with Cambodian institutions for more than three decades to support rule-of-law reforms. Ueno said the same spirit of cooperation could extend to international legal capacity-building if Cambodia deemed it beneficial. “Our legal cooperation has always been based on Cambodia’s priorities,” he said. “If there is a need to strengthen expertise on international law, including UNCLOS, we are ready to discuss how Japan can contribute,” he added. The ambassador’s comments come as his diplomatic posting in Cambodia draws to a close. On July 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn received Ueno for a farewell call, praising his contribution to deepening the Cambodia-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and thanking Japan for its continued humanitarian assistance and legal cooperation. During the meeting, Sokhonn briefed the ambassador on recent developments along the Cambodia-Thailand border and reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to resolving disputes peacefully in accordance with international law and existing bilateral agreements. For Cambodia, additional legal expertise could prove valuable as the country advances its engagement with international maritime law while continuing to advocate for peaceful settlement of regional disputes through established legal mechanisms.