Cambodia-Thailand Maritime Conciliation Commission Holds Second Meeting in The Hague
PHNOM PENH — The second meeting of the Conciliation Commission established under Annex V of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) between Cambodia and Thailand was held from October 14 to 18 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, according to Cambodia's national news agency AKP. The Permanent Court of Arbitration serves as registry for the proceedings, and the meeting was chaired by commission president Katrina Cooper.
Cambodia's delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, who serves as Cambodia's agent, accompanied by deputy agent Lam Chea, minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs, and a team of legal experts. Thailand's delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow. The commission's first meeting was held earlier in Singapore.
In his opening statement at the first meeting, Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia's foremost objective is a solution that benefits the peoples of both countries and contributes to regional peace, cooperation and shared prosperity: either a treaty delimiting a single, all-purpose maritime boundary between the two countries, or an agreement on joint development and equitable sharing of resources pending a final boundary agreement. If neither is achieved, Cambodia would ask the commission to prepare recommendations that could serve as a basis for future negotiations.
Sources: Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP); Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 荷兰海牙和平宫。Photo by Lybil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
