Cambodia, Thailand Begin UN Conciliation on Maritime Dispute

Cambodia and Thailand have begun a UN-backed compulsory conciliation process in Singapore to resolve a long-running maritime dispute over a resource-rich area in the Gulf of Thailand. The proceedings, which opened on September 15, 2026, mark the second time the mechanism under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has been invoked. The dispute centers on an overlapping claims area of approximately 26,000 to 27,000 square kilometers, estimated to hold significant oil and natural gas reserves. The process follows Thailand's unilateral withdrawal in May 2026 from a 2001 memorandum of understanding that had provided a framework for joint development and boundary delimitation. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn told the five-member Conciliation Commission that his government seeks a single, all-purpose maritime boundary with Thailand. Alternatively, he stated Cambodia would agree to joint development and equitable sharing of resources until a boundary is drawn. Sokhonn described the process as a means to rebuild trust, not as a form of escalation.