Phnom Penh, 25 May 2026 – The Secretariat-General of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia convened an important lecture on the Compulsory Conciliation Mechanism for resolving the Cambodia–Thailand maritime boundary dispute, delivered by Mr. AN Pasty, an international legal expert trained by the United Nations in the field of the Law of the Sea, at the National Assembly Palace.
 
The lecture, held under the theme “Compulsory Conciliation Mechanism: A Strategic Approach to Resolving the Cambodia–Thailand Maritime Boundary Dispute in Accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), and Relevant International Legal Mechanisms,” was moderated by H.E. Dr. Chheang Vannarith, Deputy Secretary-General and Chairman of the Advisory Council to the National Assembly of Cambodia, with the participation of 85 officials from the Secretariat-General of the National Assembly.
 
As emphasized by H.E. Dr. Chheang Vannarith, “As a small nation, Cambodia remains firmly committed to resolving disputes through international law, peaceful legal mechanisms, and diplomacy, thereby contributing to regional stability and the international rules-based order.”
 
In his lecture, Mr. An Pasty, a Cambodian intellectual committed to national service for the collective benefit of all Cambodian citizens, presented a strategic diplomatic and legal roadmap aimed at strengthening Cambodia’s response to sovereignty-related challenges concerning its maritime boundary with Thailand.
 
In his address, Mr. An Pasty outlined a strategic diplomatic roadmap for Cambodia’s response to challenges relating to its territorial integrity. The core elements of the approach he proposed include:
 
First, further advancing the proactive mechanisms under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly through the Convention’s mechanism of Compulsory Conciliation, and making fuller and more active use of this legal framework.
 
Second, strengthening active and proactive diplomacy with regional and international partners, while firmly calling upon Thailand to respect the international rules-based order, the ASEAN Charter, and the Charter of the United Nations.
 
Mr. An Pasty proposed that Cambodia should intensify its diplomatic measures by building stronger alliances with key actors across ASEAN, Europe, Asia, and other relevant regions, while also utilizing ASEAN mechanisms and the broader international community as witnesses to the issue of Thailand’s continued encroachments against Cambodia over centuries.
 
He further emphasized the need to enhance proactive diplomatic mechanisms in order to secure broader international support in the collective spirit of upholding the international rules-based order and opposing all forms of aggression that violate international law.
 
By insisting upon respect for the ASEAN Charter and the United Nations Charter, Cambodia, together with the international community, can continue exerting diplomatic pressure on Thailand to engage in the peaceful settlement of sovereignty disputes.
 
This strategic framework is aimed not only at safeguarding Cambodia’s sovereignty, but also at reinforcing integrity in the application of international law and promoting regional and international rules-based order. Furthermore, it seeks to establish a model for the peaceful settlement of disputes under the framework of international law.