On 21 October 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, China signed the Arrangement on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) Preparatory Office in the Hong Kong SAR, which specifies the details of establishing the IOMed Preparatory Office in the Hong Kong SAR. The Preparatory Office is set up by China in accordance with the Joint Statement on the Future Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation and is responsible for coordinating intergovernmental negotiations on the Convention on establishing the IOMed and other related matters.
In recent years, there has been a growing demand for mediation in the international community. However, currently no intergovernmental body is dedicated to mediation. The existing international dispute settlement organizations mainly adopt methods such as litigation and arbitration to resolve disputes. These organizations generally take mediation as a measure supplementary or prior to the litigation or arbitration procedure. As a result, the growing demand from the international community for mediation has not been met. In response to the development momentum of and demand for mediation, China and relevant countries sharing similar ideas drafted and concluded the Joint Statement and decided to jointly launch the establishment of the IOMed to provide dedicated mediation service as well as friendly, flexible, cost-effective and convenient solutions to various international disputes.
The IOMed will be a treaty-based intergovernmental organization established through consensus-building by parties concerned. It is committed to settling disputes and resolving differences by peaceful and friendly means. It will be a useful complement to the existing international dispute settlement organizations and methods and will provide a new platform for peaceful settlement of international disputes. IOMed members will maintain openness and inclusiveness. The IOMed Preparatory Office is expected to carry out negotiations on the IOMed Convention starting from 2023. The IOMed Preparatory Office is established in Hong Kong mainly because of the city’s favorable geographical location, its enabling business environment and in particular, its well-established legal system and its unique strength in providing legal services including mediation services. Establishing the Preparatory Office in Hong Kong will be conducive to the establishment as well as future operation and promotion of the IOMed.
Link: https://www.mfa.gov.cn/web/wjbxw_673019/202211/t20221101_10795358.shtml