Suhong Yang
AsianSIL Voices
Published online: October 2025
Introduction: Mediation is an important means, for peaceful settlement of international disputes, which is stipulated in various treaties including the UN Charter. The nature of the mediating process promotes the preservation of relationships between the parties and aims to achieve win-win results rather than an adversarial approach where one side must win and the other must lose. On 30 May 2025, the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed, IOMed Convention, respectively) was held in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China after two to three years of preparatory work, during which 33 countries, mostly from Africa, Asia, and Latin-America, signed the IOMed Convention. The Convention entered into force on 29 August 2025, following ratification by China, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The IOMed became operational on 20 October 2025. Presently, the total number of signatory countries has reached 37.
The IOMed is the first intergovernmental organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation. It is also the first international organization headquartered in Hong Kong, a development which has the potential to raise the international profile of Hong Kong as a “capital” for mediation in the world, and strengthen the role of Hong Kong as a hub for international dispute settlement, building on its strong foundation in international arbitration.
This blog highlights the potential of IOMed in global dispute resolution, and reflects on critical perspectives to offer constructive suggestions.
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