June 3, 2026
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia announced the commencement of the compulsory reconciliation process under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), following Thailand’s recent unilateral cancellation of a 2001 MOU designed to resolve overlapping maritime claims.
In a special video address to the nation, delivered this morning, June 2, Prime Minister Hun Manet explained that Thailand’s cancellation of the MoU, a negotiation mechanism, left Cambodia no choice but to go to the UN mechanism.
“We have delivered a formal notice to Thailand and to the secretary-general of the UN to begin compulsory conciliation proceedings under UNCLOS. We have taken this step to protect Cambodia’s sovereignty and maritime rights in accordance with international law,” he said.
He noted that Cambodia has always sought to resolve disputes with its neighbours peacefully. With Thailand, the relationship is based on peace, cooperation and mutual respect, but Cambodia’s sovereignty and maritime rights must be respected.
The 2001 MOU was scrapped by the Thai cabinet on May 5, with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul claiming that it had produced no results since it was signed 25 years ago. The Cambodian side insist that it provided a negotiation pathway for resolving maritime issues.
Following Thailand’s decision, Cambodian leaders declared that they will not propose or accept any bilateral negotiation beside the compulsory reconciliation.
In his address, Manet said the 2001 MOU reflected a shared understanding that both countries should work together to settle the maritime boundary and to develop resources in the overlapping maritime claims area peacefully and for mutual benefit.
“When the Thai government said they would withdraw from this long-standing framework, Cambodia urged them to reconsider. Regrettably, Thailand still walked away. This means the MOU 2001 — the only agreed bilateral framework in relation to the overlapping maritime claims area over the past 25 years — could no longer be relied upon. Clearly, the opportunity for bilateral negotiation to achieve a solution had been exhausted,” he explained.
He said the UNCLOS, to which both Cambodia and Thailand are parties, is a peaceful and lawful option, adding that compulsory conciliation is a peaceful legal mechanism that allows both countries to present their positions before an independent commission of five conciliators made up of leading international law experts.
He raised the great success of this mechanism enjoyed by Timor-Leste and Australia in 2018, when both nations were able to peacefully resolve their maritime boundary dispute. Manet expected that the mechanism will produce the same result for Cambodia and Thailand, demonstrating the value of international law and peaceful dispute resolution.
“This is not escalation; it is a facilitated negotiation between the two nations overseen by international expert conciliators. This is not unilateral action; it is an effort to resolve the dispute peacefully through international law and in good faith,” he stressed.
“Let me be clear: initiating the compulsory conciliation under UNCLOS does not mean that Cambodia is turning away from dialogue. Cambodia is bringing dialogue into a structured international framework recognised by both countries. Both Cambodia and Thailand stand to gain from a fair and lasting settlement agreement with the guidance of the international expert conciliators and in accordance with international law,” he added.
The prime minister said the UNCLOS compulsory reconciliation will protect sovereignty, strengthen confidence, unlock energy resources, support development and create new job opportunities for now and in the future for both countries.
“Cambodia has never violated the sovereignty of other states. At the same time, we are unswervingly determined to defend Cambodia’s sovereignty. Today we continue to honour that responsibility — not through force, but through international law; not through unilateral action, but through peaceful engagement,” he said.
“I call upon all Cambodians to remain united, confident, and steadfast. Matters of sovereignty belong to the entire nation,” he added.