Cambodia parliament ratifies UNCLOS

Terry Felix On January 17, 2026 - 5:40 am In Asia Pacific

PHNOM PENH, 17 January 2026 — Cambodia’s National Assembly on Friday unanimously approved legislation to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), officials said, a move aimed at strengthening the country’s maritime legal framework and international cooperation.

The vote was passed during a plenary session of the Assembly’s seventh legislature, presided over by Assembly President Khuon Sudary, with all 114 lawmakers present voting in favour, according to an official statement.

The ratification clears the way for Cambodia to formally accede to the convention, which it signed in 1983. The treaty sets out legal regimes governing territorial waters, exclusive economic zones, continental shelves and marine environmental protection.

The Assembly said accession would provide Cambodia with a comprehensive legal basis to manage maritime zones, protect marine resources and enhance cooperation and dispute resolution with other states.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, along with Lam Chea, Minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs, represented the Royal Government in defending the draft law before the Assembly.