Latest news with #InternationalOrganisationForMediation
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
‘Rising star' mediation body adds more shine to reputation of Hong Kong
The launching of the world's first legal body dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation is a groundbreaking and much-needed development at a time of heightened global tensions. A convention to establish the International Organisation for Mediation, based in Hong Kong, was signed by 33 countries yesterday at a ceremony attended by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and representatives of more than 80 nations, plus global bodies. Wang said the initiative, led by China, would transcend a 'zero-sum mentality' and promote the amicable resolution of international disputes. The move reflects Beijing's efforts to settle differences through peaceful means and is intended to bring 'Chinese wisdom' to global governance at a time of instability. Wang highlighted Article 33 of the United Nations Charter, which requires states to use methods including mediation to resolve disputes. The organisation, due to open as early as this year, will fill a gap as other leading institutions around the world focus more on litigation or arbitration. There is growing interest in the use of mediation, where a neutral third party helps resolve differences in a way acceptable to both sides.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
‘Transcend zero-sum mindsets': global legal body set up in Hong Kong
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP's journalism by subscribing . New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended a signing ceremony in Hong Kong on Friday morning to mark the establishment of the world's first intergovernmental legal body focused on mediation. Police deployed about 100 officers, including some from their counterterrorism unit, for the event. High-level representatives from nearly 60 countries and about 20 global organisations attended the ceremony at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Wan Chai. Renovation works are being carried out at the old Wan Chai Police Station, where the International Organisation for Mediation will have its headquarters. The site is expected to open by the end of this year or the beginning of 2026. Officials and legal experts have said that the new organisation will boost the city's standing as an international legal hub. Follow our live blog below for the latest updates from the ceremony. More from our coverage: Reporting by Jess Ma, Natalie Wong, Willa Wu, Harvey Kong and Joshua Kwok.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's global legal ambitions get a boost with a new world body
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to attend a signing ceremony in Hong Kong on Friday morning to mark the establishment of the world's first intergovernmental legal body focused on mediation. Police have deployed about 100 officers, including some from their counterterrorism unit, for the event. High-level representatives from nearly 60 countries and about 20 global organisations will attend the ceremony at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Wan Chai. Renovation works are being carried out at the old Wan Chai Police Station, where the International Organisation for Mediation will have its headquarters. The site is expected to open by the end of this year or the beginning of 2026. Officials and legal experts have said that the new organisation will boost the city's standing as an international legal hub. Follow our live blog below for the latest updates from the ceremony. More from our coverage: Reporting by Jess Ma, Natalie Wong, Willa Wu, Harvey Kong and Joshua Kwok.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
New global mediation body could open in Hong Kong as early as end of 2025
An international mediation body to be inaugurated in Hong Kong and backed by mainland Chinese authorities could open its office as early as the end of this year, a senior official has said. Advertisement Legal experts said they expect it to burnish the city's status as a top jurisdiction to resolve disputes between states amid rising geopolitical tensions. Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan on Sunday gave an update on the opening schedule for the International Organisation for Mediation, days before China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, was expected to arrive for the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation on May 30. Cheung said the body's Hong Kong headquarters, currently under renovation at the site of the old Wan Chai Police Station, could be open by the end of this year or the beginning of 2026. 'It marks the first time an intergovernmental international organisation sets foot in Hong Kong,' Cheung said on social media. Advertisement 'This will significantly elevate Hong Kong's international image as a global mediation hub and bring numerous benefits, including enhancements in its economy, political standing, cultural influence and international impact.'
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
New global mediation body could open in Hong Kong as early as end of 2025, official says
A new international mediation body to be inaugurated in Hong Kong and backed by mainland Chinese authorities could open its office as early as 'the end of this year', a senior official has said, with legal experts expecting it will elevate the city as a top jurisdiction to resolve disputes between states amid rising geopolitical tensions. Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan on Sunday gave an update on the opening schedule for the International Organisation for Mediation, days before China's top diplomat Wang Yi was expected to arrive for the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation on May 30. Cheung said the Hong Kong headquarters of the body, which are currently under renovation at the site of the old Wan Chai Police Station, could be open by the end of this year or the beginning of 2026. 'It marks the first time an intergovernmental international organisation sets foot in Hong Kong. This will significantly elevate Hong Kong's international image as a global mediation hub and bring numerous benefits, including enhancements in its economy, political standing, cultural influence, and international impact,' Cheung said on social media. He also noted that the city's status as a mediation hub could lure more international organisations, NGOs and academic bodies to the city and yield more job opportunities for mediators, translators, researchers and administrative staff. Cheung also said he hoped the establishment of the headquarters would prompt more international meetings and exhibitions in Hong Kong and spur the development of the hotel, catering, transport and logistics industries.
