Key points
- IOMed to promote amicable resolution of international disputes: China
- IOMed “is on a par with” the United Nations’ ICJ: Hong Kong government
- Serbia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, and Venezuela are among the co-signatories
HONG KONG, China: China signed a convention on Friday setting up a global mediation body in Hong Kong, which aims to be comparable to organisations such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Beijing has taken a more proactive approach in international affairs in recent years, expanding its influence in global bodies such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization — especially as the United States has taken the opposite direction under President Donald Trump.
Co-signatories
Initiated by Beijing, the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation Convention (IOMed) was co-signed by 31 other countries ranging from Serbia and Pakistan to Papua New Guinea and Venezuela.
READ ALSO: Pakistan Signs Convention Establishing International Organization for Mediation
“The birth of IOMed will help transcend the zero-sum mentality of ‘win or lose’, promote the amicable resolution of international disputes, and build more harmonious international relations,” said China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who presided over the signing.
“Fill a gap in the field”
Hong Kong’s government said IOMed will be the first intergovernmental body dedicated to mediation, while Wang said it would “fill a gap in the field”.
The birth of IOMed will help transcend the zero-sum mentality of ‘win or lose’, promote the amicable resolution of international disputes, and build more harmonious international relations.” – China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi
The body will mediate disputes between countries, between countries and individuals from another country, and between private international entities.
IOMed “is on a par with” ICJ
IOMed “is on a par with” the United Nations’ ICJ and the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, said the Hong Kong government.
IOMed will start operating by the end of this year or early 2026.
