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The Sun
01-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Hong Kong-headquartered International Mediation Body Established
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 31 May 2025 - International mediation marked a significant milestone yesterday (May 30) with the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed). The IOMed, with its headquarters in Hong Kong, is the world's first inter-governmental international legal organisation devoted to the use of mediation in resolving international disputes. More than 80 countries and about 20 international organisations, including the United Nations, sent senior representatives to Hong Kong to witness the Signing Ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation. Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi, attended the Signing Ceremony and was the first to sign the Convention on behalf of China. Altogether, 33 countries signed the Convention on-site, making them the founding members of the IOMed. Addressing the ceremony, Mr Wang said that as an innovative step in international rule of law, the IOMed has great significance in the history of international relations. The IOMed will be headquartered in Hong Kong, whose handover is itself a success story of peaceful settlement of international disputes. He added that the success of the 'one country, two systems' principle has created brighter prospects for prosperity and stability in Hong Kong. Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), John Lee, thanked the Central Government for its staunch support of Hong Kong, and the international community for placing their trust and confidence in the city. 'The IOMed will provide a pathway for countries – regardless of culture, language and legal system – to resolve international disputes based on mutual respect and understanding,' Mr Lee said. 'This is increasingly important amid mounting geopolitical tensions.' Mr Lee underscored that the IOMed reflected a shared confidence in mediation as a peaceful means to maintain international peace and security, as stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations. The Chief Executive also set out Hong Kong's advantages as an effective 'super connector' and 'super value-adder' and said the city would actively promote the IOMed's valuable work in settling international disputes through mediation. 'Despite geopolitical turbulence, Hong Kong builds bridges, not walls,' Mr Lee said. 'Under our unique 'one country, two systems' principle, Hong Kong is the only world city that enjoys both the China advantage and the global advantage. 'We are the only common law jurisdiction in China, and the only jurisdiction in the world with a bilingual common law system in both Chinese and English. We have a long tradition of the rule of law, and our courts exercise their judicial power independently.' With a robust, efficient and well-respected legal system as well as world-class legal and dispute resolution services professionals, Hong Kong is also the most preferred seat for arbitration in the Asia-Pacific region. The IOMed headquarters will be located at the site of the former Wan Chai Police Station, once renovation of the Grade 2 historic building is completed. 'I'm happy to say that it could open its doors as early as the end of this year,' said Mr Lee. 'We look forward not only to welcoming its new occupants, but also to supporting them in building new bridges for a more connected, peaceful and prosperous future through mediation.' Representatives from over 30 countries, including China and countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, jointly signed the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation in Hong Kong on May 30.
Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Reprehensible terror act: UNSC on Pahalgam
The UN Security Council has 'condemned in the strongest terms' the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, calling for those responsible for the 'reprehensible act of terrorism' to be brought to justice. The 15-nation Council issued a press statement in which members 'condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir' on April 22, during which 26 people were killed and many more injured. 'The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice,' the press statement said. 'They stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,' it said. A press statement is a declaration to the media made by the President of the Security Council on behalf of all 15 Members. France is the president of the Council for April and the press statement was issued by Council President Permanent Representative of France to the UN Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont. It is learnt that the US had floated the draft statement, which was then discussed by Council members. Pakistan currently sits in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member. A press statement requires agreement from all Council members and is a negotiated text. The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government of India and the government of Nepal, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. A Nepali citizen was among those killed in the attack. The UNSC members reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. They reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Meanwhile, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, responding to a question on the situation between India and Pakistan at the daily press briefing Friday, said that 'we continue to follow the situation with very deep concern'. 'And we, of course, reiterate our condemnation of the attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, which, as you know, killed about 26 civilians. And we again urge both the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the situation does not deteriorate further.'
India.com
26-04-2025
- Politics
- India.com
‘Hold Perpetrators, Sponsors Accountable': UNSC Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack In Strongest Terms
Pahalgam Terror Attack: Condemning the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in 'the strongest terms,' the UNSC stressed that those responsible should be held accountable and the organisers and sponsors of this "reprehensible act of terrorism" should be brought to justice. The 15-nation Council issued a Press Statement on 'terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir' in which the members 'condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir' on April 22, during which at least 26 people were killed and many more injured. "The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice,' the press statement said. "They stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,' it said. A press statement is a declaration to the media made by the President of the Security Council on behalf of all 15 Members. France is President of the Council for the month of April and the press statement was issued by Council President Permanent Representative of France to the UN Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont. It is learnt that the US had floated the draft statement, which was then discussed by Council members. Pakistan currently sits in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member. A press statement requires agreement from all Council members and is a negotiated text. The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of India and the Government of Nepal, and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. In the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed. The victims were mostly tourists from all across India. The UNSC members reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. They reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Meanwhile, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, responding to a question on the situation between India and Pakistan at the daily press briefing Friday, said that 'we continue to follow the situation with very deep concern". "And we, of course, reiterate our condemnation of the attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, which, as you know, killed about 26 civilians. And we again urge both the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the situation does not deteriorate further.' To a question on whether the Secretary-General, who is currently in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, plans to speak to leaders of India and Pakistan once he is back in New York, Dujarric said, 'I hope to have something to share with you" on that. Dujarric rejected a comment that the 'two nuclear countries' might go to war, and the situation is meriting such little attention. "Let me just say, I don't agree with your comment... we are paying very close attention to the situation between India and Pakistan,' Dujarric said.
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First Post
26-04-2025
- Politics
- First Post
UNSC on Pahalgam attack: 'Need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers & sponsors of terrorism to justice'
The United Nations Security Council has strongly denounced the Pahalgam terror attack and called for the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of 'this reprehensible act of terrorism' to be held accountable and brought to justice. read more Indian soldiers inspect the site in the aftermath of an attack in Pahalgam. AFP The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which Pakistani and local terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists. The Council emphasised the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of 'this reprehensible act of terrorism' accountable and bring them to justice. The 15-member UN Security Council said in a statement on Friday that all forms of terrorism are a serious threat to global peace and security. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, during which at least 26 people were killed and many more injured,' it said in the press statement. A press statement is a message to the media from the UNSC president, speaking for all 15 members. Pakistan is currently a non-permanent member of the Council. The UNSC members expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and the governments of India and Nepal, and wished a speedy and full recovery to the injured. They also underlined the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of 'this reprehensible act of terrorism' accountable and bring them to justice. The UNSC stressed that those responsible for the killings should be held accountable and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard. The members reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever, and by whomsoever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat, by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law — including international human rights law, international refugee law, and international humanitarian law — threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed in Tuesday's Pahalgam terror attack, which triggered widespread outrage within India and abroad. India later uncovered 'cross-border links' in the terror attack, and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba's proxy group, The Resistance Group, claimed responsibility. New Delhi announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the expulsion of Pakistani military attachés, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and immediate closure of the Attari land-transit post, in view of the cross-border links to the terror attack. In response to India's actions, Pakistan on Thursday decided to shut its airspace to all Indian airlines and suspended trade with New Delhi, including through third countries. Pakistan also rejected India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and said any measures to stop the flow of water belonging to Pakistan under the pact would be seen as an 'act of war'.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. in standoff with Ukraine and Europe over competing U.N. resolutions about Russia-Ukraine war
Leading up to a vote Monday, the United States had been lobbying countries around the world to oppose a resolution brought forward at the United Nations General Assembly by Ukraine and European countries on the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine and support a U.S. draft resolution instead. But ultimately, after European countries won support for three amendments to the U.S. resolution, the Trump administration was forced to abstain from its own resolution. The amendments replaced language referring to 'the Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict' with 'the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation'; added a commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders; and expanded wording about a 'lasting peace' between Ukraine and Russia to a 'just, lasting and comprehensive peace,' 'in line with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States.' 'These amendments pursue a war of words rather than an end to the war,' U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea said shortly before the vote. 'The attempt to add this language detracts from what we are trying to achieve with this forward-looking resolution, a firm consensus from the members of this body to unite behind a resolution calling for the end to this conflict.' Despite the lack of U.S. support, the U.S. resolution with the new language was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly with 93 votes in favor, eight against and 73 abstentions. Ukraine's competing resolution co-sponsored by European countries also passed despite active U.S. opposition with 93 votes in favor, 18 against and 65 abstentions. The U.S. was among the 18 countries that voted against the resolution, including Russia, North Korea, Belarus and Sudan. China and Saudi Arabia were among the 65 countries that abstained. An internal memo sent to all U.S. diplomatic posts Saturday had instructed the head of each U.S. mission to 'engage host governments at the highest possible levels,' and urge them to support the U.S. resolution and encourage Ukraine to withdraw its own resolution, 'which does not advance the United States' goal of achieving a lasting peace.' The U.S. will once again ask the world to support its resolution Monday afternoon at the U.N. Security Council, where it will be able to veto any amendments to its language brought forward by other members. U.S. diplomats were also told to ask countries to vote against a proposed Russian amendment to the U.S. resolution, according to the diplomatic note seen by NBC News. The Russian amendment would add language saying that the 'root causes' of the conflict should also be addressed. The memo was first reported by Reuters. Ukraine's resolution, which it put forward last week, demands the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces 'from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.' The U.S. does not support that demand and Trump administration officials have recently suggested that Ukraine would likely have to give up some territory as part of a peace deal. Ukraine's resolution also refers to the ongoing hostilities as a 'war,' a word that is omitted from the text of the U.S. resolution, and which Russia has stayed away from since it invaded Ukraine in 2022. 'President Trump is committed to ending the Russia-Ukraine war and to a resolution that leads to a lasting peace, not just a temporary pause,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Friday. 'The United States has proposed a simple, historic resolution in the United Nations that we urge all member states to support in order to chart a path to peace.' This article was originally published on
