Thailand Appoints Conciliators for Negotiations with Cambodia under UNCLOS

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow clarified that the compulsory conciliation commission under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) will not act as a court or issue binding judgments regarding the maritime dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

His statement followed the Cabinet’s approval of Thailand’s conciliators for negotiations with Cambodia under UNCLOS.

​Sihasak stated that the commission’s role is to facilitate discussions and recommend approaches for negotiations between the two countries. Thailand maintains that the initial scope of conciliation should focus on delimiting the maritime boundary and continental shelf.

While Cambodia has proposed negotiating a Joint Development Area (JDA) framework, Thailand believes these discussions are premature. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the maritime boundary must first be clarified to determine any overlapping claims before considering joint development of offshore resources.

The Cabinet also approved two internationally recognized maritime law experts from South Africa and Germany as Thailand’s conciliators. Both are former presidents of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and were selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their experience and international standing.

After Thailand and Cambodia each appoint two conciliators, the four must jointly select a fifth member to chair the commission. This process must be completed within one month before formal negotiations can begin.

Source: NBT World

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