The Global Mediation Summit, the first international conference organised by the International Organization for Mediation, or IOMed, was held at the Convention & Exhibition Centre today, with Chief Executive John Lee officiating.
Speaking at the event, Mr Lee noted that the National 15th Five-Year Plan has expressed support for IOMed, and emphasised that this backing ensures Hong Kong will play a key role in the peaceful resolution of international disputes through mediation in the long term.
“As IOMed’s headquarters, Hong Kong is at the very heart of global dispute resolution and its promising future,” Mr Lee said.
“The National 15th Five-Year Plan, I am pleased to note, has expressed support to IOMed. That ensures that Hong Kong will play a key role in the peaceful resolution of disputes by mediation, long down the road,” he added.
“Hong Kong will continue to build on our partnership with IOMed. Together, we will work to develop Hong Kong as a global mediation centre, and we invite governments, companies, investors and others to make optimal use of the mediation services provided by IOMed.”
Mr Lee also highlighted that since its inauguration last October, the number of signatory states to the IOMed Convention has climbed from 37 to 41, while the number of contracting states has risen from eight to 13.
The summit drew over 400 leaders, senior officials and professionals from 48 countries and regions to share their experience and insights on international mediation.
IOMed Governing Council Vice-chairperson Willy Bett noted that establishing the headquarters in Hong Kong significantly bolsters the trust of many countries.
“IOMed’s positioning or location in Hong Kong, and the support the Hong Kong SAR and the People’s Republic of China in general, has made IOMed gain confidence with many countries,” he said.
“And Hong Kong has a lot of experience in handling international matters. And therefore, even the location of Hong Kong in itself being at the heart of Asia and the Pacific, it puts it in a unique position to be a more central place to settle most of these disputes,” Mr Bett added.
Another speaker, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Conciliator Panel Member Wolf Von Kumberg, who is an independent arbitrator and mediator himself, said Hong Kong is well positioned to become a global mediation capital.
“For mediation to work, you have to ensure that the parties feel comfortable in going to a particular venue that is both stable and also is a safe place to go,” he noted.
“Hong Kong is very well placed because for decades, Hong Kong has been a commercial hub where investors could come from all over the world into a very stable environment,” he added.
“By putting a mediation institute here, it is a place that is recognised by global stakeholders to help them then to resolve these disputes.”
With the support of the Department of Justice and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy as the key sponsors, the summit concludes Mediation Week 2026.
The event has explored international cross-cultural mediation, financial and investment dispute resolution and the development of a global mediation ecosystem.
