The recent establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) in Hong Kong marked a major milestone for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in playing a prominent role as a global hub for mediation and dispute settlement.
Over 30 countries — including Pakistan, Belarus, Serbia and Venezuela — from across Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa have signed the convention, under which the mediation body was established.
The establishment of the IOMed marks a significant breakthrough in mediation for resolving disputes from different nations and jurisdictions. It also solidifies Hong Kong’s positioning at the forefront of mediation. China welcomes more nations to join the IOMed, fostering the shared aspirations of all countries for peace and common development.
As a means of dispute resolution, mediation has become a notable example of China’s peaceful diplomacy. Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized in his speech at the launch ceremony that the establishment of the IOMed has curated a mediation mechanism for resolving disputes and conflicts beyond zero-sum mindsets, fostering the peaceful settlement of disputes and enhancing relations between countries. China has upheld the United Nations Charter, which clearly states that parties to any dispute should seek a solution by mediation, arbitration, or other peaceful means of their own choice.
Based on the white paper titled China's National Security in the New Era released in mid-May, China is dedicated to working together with countries from around the world to uphold regional peace and common development, injecting stability into a volatile and unstable world.
The establishment of the IOMed provides a new pathway for countries and enterprises from around the world to resolve disputes through mediation. As noted by Wang, the establishment of the IOMed fills a gap in mechanisms focused on mediation-based dispute resolution. China and some 20 countries jointly launched the initiative to establish the IOMed in 2022. With widespread recognition in the international community, the IOMed is the world’s first intergovernmental legal organization specializing in resolving international disputes via mediation. The IOMed stands alongside the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration of the UN in The Hague. The IOMed can handle a wide range of disputes, including disputes between countries, disputes concerning a country and investors of another country, and other international business and investment disputes. All parties can reach mutually acceptable agreements through the IOMed and mitigate costs on mounting litigations.
The establishment of the IOMed in Hong Kong demonstrates that the SAR can play a global role on mediation under the principle of “one country, two systems”. Wang highlighted that Hong Kong was chosen as the IOMed’s headquarters for its advantages in having a common law system and a friendly business environment. With the central government’s staunch support and consensus among participating nations, it was unanimously agreed that the IOMed would be established in Hong Kong; and that has solidified the city’s positioning as a global magnet for mediation. Hong Kong’s common law system and rule of law, along with its free and open business environment, have remained intact after its reunification with the motherland. Global enterprises can resort to Hong Kong’s common law system to resolve their disputes, such as commercial contract terms, intellectual property rights and financial arrangements. Based on the 2025 International Arbitration Survey conducted by the Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom, both Hong Kong and Singapore were ranked the second most preferred seats of arbitration by enterprises from around the world, with London maintaining its top spot.
Meanwhile, the setting up of the IOMed can further foster business cooperation among investors and enterprises from different countries, particularly those participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. With the establishment of the IOMed — in which some participating countries are BRI-participating nations, such as Pakistan, Cambodia and Serbia — the business interests of investors and enterprises in these countries can be better safeguarded and any disputes can be resolved through mediation in Hong Kong. At present, arbitral awards made in Hong Kong can be enforced in around 170 countries that are signatories to the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York Convention). In the past, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) has handled various arbitration and mediation cases. Based on HKIAC’s figures, it handled around 500 arbitration, mediation and other cases from enterprises and institutions from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and other jurisdictions, including Singapore, the United States and nations in the Middle East, in 2024. The amount involved in these arbitration cases reached more than $13.6 billion.
Furthermore, the establishment of the IOMed can attract a broader range of international organizations and talent in mediation services to Hong Kong. At present, Hong Kong accommodates several international legal dispute resolution bodies, including the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization’s Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre. Hong Kong has also held high-level international meetings on arbitration and mediation. For instance, the International Council for Commercial Arbitration Congress — hailed as the Olympics of the international arbitration community — was held in the city last year, attracting a record 1,300 experts from more than 70 jurisdictions. Global experts and professionals can bring their wealth of experience on mediation to the city. At the same time, Hong Kong has a rich pool of high-caliber professionals to work as meditators. They are mainly from legal, accounting, finance, architecture and maritime sectors. Professionals from different fields can work as mediators locally after garnering accreditation by the Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association — which was founded by the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and the Hong Kong Mediation Centre.
The establishment of the IOMed marks a significant breakthrough as a mediation mechanism for resolving disputes from different jurisdictions. Hong Kong strives to live up to the country’s expectations for it to be a global hub for mediation. China welcomes more nations to join the IOMed, supporting any party to settle disputes and conflicts via mediation, thereby building a world full of long-lasting peace and amicable friendship.
The author is a member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and founder and chairman of the One Country Two Systems Youth Forum.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
