The International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) has made encouraging progress since launching in Hong Kong last year, with a growing number of signatories and contracting states and successful outcomes in complex cases involving Malaysia and Singapore, Secretary-General Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah said.
Speaking with the press, Cheng said the number of signatory states has risen to 48, and contracting states have reached 19. She said the organization is committed to elevating mediation from a traditional “secondary means” to a “primary means” of dispute resolution.
Cheng revealed that IOMed will sign a memorandum of understanding with the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) to deepen cooperation in areas including international private law, commercial law and investment contracts.
She added that closer ties with UNIDROIT, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) would further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international hub for legal and dispute-resolution services.
Cheng called for open communication and consultation to resolve disputes amicably and help build a global mediation ecosystem. She said IOMed also placed strong emphasis on capacity-building to raise awareness and encourage the wider use of mediation around the world.
On the organization’s work to date, Cheng said cases were being handled in turn and pointed to successfully resolved multi-party disputes involving Malaysia and Singapore, including a complex shipping-charter dispute.
She said mediation’s flexibility allowed parties to tailor procedures and choose mediators with expertise in fields such as maritime affairs and construction — an advantage that could be difficult to achieve through traditional arbitration or litigation.
To meet the needs of the digital economy, Cheng said IOMed is developing an online dispute-resolution platform. It will enable users around the world to meet and resolve disputes securely online, regardless of time or location.
IOMed will host the inaugural edition of its signature event IOMed Forum on December 8 under the theme “Mediation for Peace and Prosperity — The New Frontier” in Hong Kong.
Speakers will include International Court of Justice Judge Xue Hanqin, who will discuss mediation between states, and UNCITRAL Secretary Anna Joubin-Bret, who will address mediation in commercial and investment disputes.
