A few weeks after Thailand withdrew from the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding with Cambodia, which was aimed at finding ways for joint development of the disputed Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand, the Cambodian government turned to the United Nations.

Disputed Zone and Resources

The OCA, covering 26,000 square kilometers, has been contested by both countries since the 1970s. Estimates suggest the area contains between 10 and nearly 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and up to 700 million barrels of condensate and oil. The value of the oil and gas resources in this disputed maritime zone is estimated at around $300 billion.

Diplomatic Steps

On Tuesday, Cambodia officially notified Thailand and the UN Secretary-General of the initiation of compulsory conciliation procedures under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the overlapping maritime claims with Thailand.

In 2001, the possibility of reaching an agreement on joint exploitation of blocks II, III, and IV in the OCA was discussed, while the boundaries of block I remained undefined. Over the years, both countries have issued licenses for OCA blocks to various companies, including Chevron, Inpex, BHP, and Enterprise Oil. However, due to the unresolved dispute, exploration has not commenced.

Conciliation Procedure

The initiation of compulsory conciliation followed Thailand’s unilateral withdrawal from a key bilateral maritime agreement between the two countries. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Pra Sokhonn will represent the country in these proceedings.

Cambodia has appointed Ambassador Daniel Peter Taxø-Jensen and Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Secretary-General of The Hague Academy of International Law, as conciliators to participate in the negotiations and discussions. Thailand has until June 23 to appoint its two conciliators. Afterward, the conciliators will select a chairperson to form the conciliation commission, which will be overseen by the UN Secretary-General.