Cambodia Explains UNCLOS Conciliation Move at UN Meeting

NEW YORK, June 19, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia has told a United Nations meeting that it launched compulsory conciliation proceedings under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) after Thailand’s “unilateral termination” of a key bilateral framework.

Speaking at the 36th Meeting of States Parties to UNCLOS, Cambodia’s Permanent Representative Keo Chhea said Cambodia had “no other options” following Thailand’s reported withdrawal from the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding, which had guided talks on overlapping continental shelf claims.

In a right of reply, Deputy Permanent Representative Yaung Chansophea rejected Thai assertions that Cambodia was avoiding dialogue or internationalising the dispute.

He said Thailand had repeatedly declined calls for negotiations under the MoU and alleged the agreement was unilaterally terminated.

He added that Cambodia remained committed to peaceful resolution while safeguarding sovereignty and maritime rights.

The Thai delegation had earlier argued Cambodia was not prioritising bilateral talks.
The meeting, held from June 15 to 18 at UN Headquarters in New York, gathered 171 States Parties and one regional organisation.

Delegates also elected seven judges to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, representing Ghana, Tunisia, Vietnam, India, Brazil, Russia and the Netherlands.

Cambodia’s intervention comes amid heightened regional attention to maritime disputes, with Phnom Penh stressing that UNCLOS mechanisms remain the only viable path to peaceful settlement.