Lam also said all parties and states are welcome to be part of the International Organisation for Mediation, especially given the current geopolitical situation, even if they are not signatories of the treaty on establishing the global body.
“I’m sure that no country would disagree that peace is important, or peaceful settlement of disputes is something not of great significance, in particular in the light of the present, rather complicated geopolitical situation,” Lam told reporters.
“There’s more the reason why people should be more willing and eager to resort to peaceful means, including mediation, as a way to resolve disputes. Unlike other traditional means, for example, litigation or arbitration, [mediation] as a matter of fact is less hostile.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi is to attend Friday’s signing ceremony of the convention on establishing the mediation body, with the justice chief calling the senior Beijing official’s arrival “symbolic”.
“It would be a very important milestone to have, for the very first time in human history, an intergovernmental organisation devoted to mediation. That represents the country’s and the international community’s confidence and support to use mediation as means to resolve different types of disputes,” Lam said.
“The importance attached to use mediation has been raised to a much higher level.”
The organisation is expected to help handle a broad scope of disputes in three key areas, according to the secretary, including conflicts between countries, those concerning a state and a foreign national, as well as international commercial disputes of private entities.
Located at the site of the old Wan Chai Police Station, the body could open its office as early as the end of this year following renovation works that are expected to be completed in one to two months’ time.
“We are hoping that [the organisation] can start its actual operations at the end of this year, and if not, perhaps early next year. That’s our target. We are working towards that goal, but it really depends on the outcome of discussions among the countries which are going to sign the convention,” Lam said.
