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NPP urges PM to seek UNCLOS ratification

By Jinny Chad
May 20,2025
The National Power Party (NPP) has requested Prime Minister Hun Manet to submit the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to the National Assembly for ratification, which will safeguard Cambodia’s maritime borders and peacefully resolve disputes with neighbouring countries.

The request was made in a letter submitted to the Prime Minister on Monday, and highlights that Cambodia faces ongoing disputes over islands and maritime boundaries, which could escalate into diplomatic incidents or even conflicts if left unresolved.

Chea Mony, President of the NPP, emphasised that UNCLOS provides a strong legal foundation for protecting maritime sovereignty and offers a fair, internationally recognised framework for resolving disputes through peaceful means.

Mony’s letter followed calls from Judge Hidehisa Horinouchi of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and French Ambassador to Cambodia Jacques Pellet, who have urged Cambodia to ratify UNCLOS.

Judge Horinouchi stressed the importance of Cambodia joining other ASEAN countries in fully adopting UNCLOS to secure maritime rights and cooperation mechanisms. He made the remarks in March in a workshop in Phnom Penh.

“Your neighbouring countries and other ASEAN states are all members of UNCLOS. Only Cambodia remains outside,” he said. “So, for maritime cooperation, like in fisheries and minerals, and negotiations, I think it’s better to have concrete rights with neighbouring countries. Joining UNCLOS will give the foundation for this type of maritime cooperation.”

Although Cambodia has been a signatory to UNCLOS since 1983, its parliament has yet to ratify the convention, which came into force in 1994 for states that have endorsed or acceded to it.

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