The Royal Government of Cambodia has announced the launch of the “forced conciliation mechanism” under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve overlapping maritime claims with Thailand.
In a special message on June 2, Prime Minister Hun Manet said that Cambodia had sent an official letter to the Thai side and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to formally initiate the procedure.
Hun Manet said that the decision to use the mechanism was to protect Cambodia’s national sovereignty and maritime rights based on the principles of international law.
“Cambodia remains committed to building relations with the Thai side based on peace, cooperation, and mutual respect. At the same time, Cambodia’s national sovereignty and maritime rights must be absolutely respected,” the Prime Minister said.
The Cambodian Prime Minister asserted that the initiation of the “forced conciliation” procedure is not an escalation of tensions between the two countries, but rather a search for a solution through negotiations and mediation by international experts, in accordance with the framework set out in UNCLOS.
He added that the measure was not a unilateral action, but rather an expression of Cambodia’s will to resolve the dispute peacefully and in accordance with international law.
Hun Manet added, “Using the forced conciliation mechanism under UNCLOS does not mean that Cambodia is withdrawing from dialogue. On the contrary, Cambodia is bringing the dialogue into an international framework that has a clear structure and is recognized by both countries.”
The announcement comes as Cambodia and Thailand remain at odds over the demarcation of maritime boundaries in some areas of the Gulf of Thailand, where both sides claim overlapping rights. UNCLOS provides several legal mechanisms for resolving maritime disputes, including a conciliation procedure involving an independent international commission.
