Cambodia Officially Enters UNCLOS Conciliation Phase with Thailand for Maritime Dispute

Cambodia and Thailand are set to resolve their long-standing maritime dispute through a conciliation process under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has officially confirmed that this procedure has entered the phase of meetings with both parties. According to sources, the first meeting of the conciliation commission between Cambodia and Thailand is scheduled to take place from September 14 to 16, 2026, in Singapore. The meeting will feature opening statements from both Cambodia and Thailand and will commence at 9:00 AM Singapore time. The proceedings are expected to be live-streamed in English, Khmer, and Thai. This procedure was initiated by Cambodia on June 2, 2026, through a notification requesting the establishment of a conciliation mechanism under Article 11 of Annex V of UNCLOS. This action followed Thailand's unilateral termination of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which served as the sole bilateral mechanism for resolving maritime issues between the two countries. Thailand submitted its response on June 19, 2026. The conciliation commission comprises five members, chaired by Ms. Katrina Cooper of Australia. The members are drawn from Denmark, France, South Africa, and Germany. The PCA will act as the Registry for this procedure, with the agreement of both parties. The PCA's announcement officially signifies that the Cambodia-Thailand conciliation procedure under UNCLOS has entered the meeting stage with both parties. This represents a peaceful dispute resolution mechanism under international law, where a neutral commission can hear both parties, examine legal and factual issues, identify points of agreement, and put forward proposals or recommendations for a peaceful settlement. Source: CEN Cambodia