Australian Diplomat Appointed Chair of UNCLOS Conciliation Commission
Australian diplomat Katrina Cooper has been appointed chair of a UNCLOS conciliation commission, with Thailand among the countries supporting her appointment. The commission is expected to hold its first meeting in September to address a ma
BANGKOK — 15 August 2026, Australian diplomat and international lawyer Katrina Cooper has been appointed chair of a conciliation commission operating under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The ministry said the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) issued a statement on Friday, 14 August, announcing Cooper's appointment as the fifth conciliator and chair of the Conciliation Commission. The Thai government has been formally notified by the PCA.
Cooper, whom Thailand was among those supporting for the role, is an experienced diplomat and international lawyer with expertise in international law and negotiations, according to the ministry. She has also held senior diplomatic posts, including serving as Australia's ambassador to Mexico.
Cooper previously served as a co-agent for the Australian government in the compulsory conciliation proceedings under UNCLOS between Australia and Timor-Leste, giving her direct experience with the same dispute-settlement mechanism.
The next step will be for the commission to set a date for its first meeting, which is provisionally expected to take place in September. Among the main items on the agenda will be the adoption of rules of procedure setting out how the commission will operate and providing a framework for subsequent meetings and proceedings.
The Foreign Ministry said Thailand was ready to fully cooperate with and support the commission, describing conciliation as a peaceful dispute-settlement mechanism under UNCLOS. The ministry and other relevant agencies would work to protect Thailand's national interests while participating in the process on the basis of international law, with the aim of reaching a sustainable solution for both countries, it said.
