AKP Phnom Penh, June 23, 2025 --

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC) held here this morning a meeting of the Commission for the Preparation of Documents for Submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the areas of Mom Bei, Tamoan Thom Temple, Tamoan Tauch Temple and Ta Krabei Temple.

This meeting was chaired by H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister MFAIC.

This is the inaugural meeting of the Commission to discuss Cambodia-Thailand border disputes in the above-said sensitive areas, after the Commission's establishment by the Royal Government of Cambodia on June 6, 2025, and following Cambodia's written notification of June 15, 2025 to the ICJ, expressing its intention to submit an application for the Court's adjudication on Cambodia-Thailand border dispute over the four areas, according to the MFAIC’s press release.

The Meeting exchanged views on actions that have been taken and still ongoing in relation to the ICJ procedures and discussed setting the strategy and work plan to accomplish its goals, it added.

The Commission has two supporting Working Groups, namely (1) the Legal Affairs Working Group and (2) the Diplomatic Affairs Working Group.

The main duties of the commission include: 1) to select international lawyers upon the recommendation of the Legal Affairs Working Group;  2) to examine and approve documents prepared by the Legal Affairs Working Group in collaboration with the international lawyers for submission to the ICJ; 3) to examine and endorse the works of the Diplomatic Affairs Working Group; 4) to communicate with the ICJ on initiating the legal procedures regarding the four disputed areas; and 5) to represent Cambodia before the ICJ from the initiation of the submission to the completion of the ICJ procedures.

By Heng Panha