On October 20th, 2025, the inauguration ceremony of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) was held in Hong Kong, marking its official establishment and commencement of operations. As the world's first intergovernmental international legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, the operation of the IOMed fills a major gap in the existing international dispute resolution mechanisms, representing a milestone in advancing the resolution of international disputes through mediation.

The inauguration ceremony commenced at around 11:00 AM, attended by representatives from more than 30 contracting and signatory states to the "Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation" (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention"), as well as from various sectors of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Before the ceremony, the IOMed Governing Council appointed Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah from Hong Kong, China, as the IOMed's legal representative and secretary-general.

The IOMed was jointly initiated by China and several like-minded countries. On May 30th, 2025, the signing ceremony of the Convention was held in Hong Kong. According to the Convention, headquartered in Hong Kong, IOMed is established to provide mediation services—based on the consent of the parties—in disputes between states, between states and foreign investors, and in international commercial contexts. The Convention entered into force on August 29th, 2025. A total of 37 countries have signed the Convention, among which 8 countries have completed ratification.

Mediation is one of the key means of the resolution of international disputes stipulated in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, yet the field has long lacked an intergovernmental legal organization.

"The operation of IOMed makes it an important global hub for dispute resolution, standing alongside the International Court  of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration," said Qin Tianbao, Dean of the Wuhan University School of Law, who attended the inauguration ceremony. He added that it marks a concrete step in implementing global governance initiatives, and also demonstrates the international community's high recognition of Hong Kong's common law system and full confidence in the rule of law and institutions of Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems."

全球首个专门致力于调解的政府间国际组织在香港正式成立

10月20日，国际调解院开业仪式在香港举行，宣告国际调解院正式成立并开始运作。国际调解院是全球首个专门致力于调解的政府间国际组织。它的运作补充了现行国际争端解决机制的一块短板，对推进以调解方式解决国际争端具有里程碑意义。

当日上午11时许，开业仪式举行。30余个《关于建立国际调解院的公约》（以下简称《公约》）缔约国和签署国以及香港特区各界代表出席仪式。开业仪式前，国际调解院理事会任命了调解院的法定代表和首席官员——秘书长。来自中国香港的郑若骅担任秘书长。

国际调解院由中国与多个立场相近国家共同发起。今年5月30日，《公约》签署仪式在香港举行。《公约》规定：国际调解院总部设于中国香港，受案范围包括国家间争议、一国与另一国国民间的争议以及私主体间国际商事争议。《公约》于今年8月29日生效，目前共有37个签署国，其中8国已批准《公约》。

调解是《联合国宪章》第三十三条规定的国际上重要的争端解决方式之一，但这一领域长期以来缺乏一个政府间法律组织。

“国际调解院的运作，使其成为全球争端解决的重要枢纽，与国际法院和常设仲裁法院并列。”参加开业仪式的武汉大学法学院院长秦天宝说，这是践行全球治理倡议的具体之举，也彰显了国际社会对香港普通法体系的高度认可以及对“一国两制”下香港法治、制度的充分信任。

文、图｜记者 董柳 蔡嘉鸿
翻译丨盛嘉
审校丨林佳岱