Hong Kong's IOMed Ready to Handle State Disputes, Serve as Asian Legal Hub
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
The International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), based in Hong Kong and led by former justice minister Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, has announced it is prepared to handle state-to-state disputes. Six countries have nominated 26 mediators from diplomatic, legal and academic backgrounds, and the organisation has received a "not insignificant" number of inquiries about its services .
Key Points
- Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, former Hong Kong Secretary for Justice, now serves as IOMed Secretary General
- Six countries nominated 26 mediators: China, Nicaragua, Kenya, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Kiribati
- Notable nominees include former Pakistan ambassadors Masood Khalid and Naghmana Alamgir Hashmi, Myanmar's Attorney General Thida Oo, and former International Criminal Court judge Joyce Aluoch
- China's three nominees are diplomats: Sun Linjiang (Eurasian affairs), Ma Xinmin (former legal adviser and ambassador to Sudan), and Qian Bo (Pacific island affairs)
- Cheng stated IOMed's infrastructure, rules and institutional support are fully operational
Why It Matters
Hong Kong's emergence as IOMed's base positions the city to challenge Western-dominated international arbitration centres, potentially reshaping how Asian and developing nations resolve cross-border disputes without resorting to Western institutions .
Hong Kong's emergence as IOMed's base positions the city to challenge Western-dominated international arbitration centres, potentially reshaping how Asian and developing nations resolve cross-border disputes without resorting to Western institutions .