Cambodia and Thailand have initiated a conciliation process under the auspices of the United Nations to address their protracted maritime boundary conflict in the Gulf of Thailand. In the opening session, the foreign ministers from both nations presented their initial statements as part of the proceedings guided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Central to Cambodia’s efforts is the establishment of a single maritime boundary with Thailand. As an alternative, the Cambodian government has put forward a proposal for a joint development framework that would enable both countries to share the resources located in the contested waters.
Thailand, on the other hand, insists that the discussions should remain focused solely on the delimitation of maritime boundaries and has committed to engaging in the process with sincerity. Historically, Bangkok has advocated for direct negotiations as a means to settle the dispute.
The disagreement spans approximately 26,000 square kilometers of water, an area suspected to hold substantial deposits of natural gas and oil, underscoring the economic significance of the dispute. A previous agreement from 2001 laid out a plan for cooperative resource development in the area, but this arrangement was terminated by Thailand in May, amidst rising tensions due to lethal border incidents between the two nations.
Following the breakdown of direct negotiations, Cambodia invoked the compulsory conciliation mechanism under UNCLOS in June. Although the independent panel tasked with the conciliation can make recommendations, these are not legally binding on either Cambodia or Thailand.