Cambodia, Thailand Begin UNCLOS Conciliation on Maritime Border

Cambodia and Thailand have formally opened a compulsory conciliation process aimed at settling their long-running maritime border dispute, with the first session held in Singapore.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn described the step as a means of rebuilding trust between the two countries. His Thai counterpart, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, said Bangkok had entered the process in good faith, while noting that Thailand had proposed holding direct talks on the maritime boundaries before turning to the UNCLOS mechanism.

The process was set in motion in June, when Cambodia announced it had launched compulsory conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Under this procedure, a panel of independent experts examines the dispute and issues recommendations. Those findings are not legally binding on either side.

The opening of the formal process marks a new phase in efforts to address overlapping maritime claims between the two Southeast Asian neighbours, with the conciliation route running alongside Thailand's preference for bilateral negotiations.