Hong Kong's IOMed Set to Resolve Greater Bay Area Cross-Border Disputes
SCMP · 1 SOURCES1 day ago6 MIN
Summary
The International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), based in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district, is emerging as a key mechanism for resolving cross-border disputes within the Greater Bay Area and Belt and Road Initiative countries. Secretary General Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, a former Hong Kong secretary for justice, highlighted the organization's capabilities at a forum on Thursday. The Greater Bay Area encompasses three jurisdictions with fundamentally different legal systems: Hong Kong operates under common law, mainland China follows civil law, and Macau's legal framework derives from Portuguese traditions. IOMed was inaugurated in October 2025 and currently counts 48 signatory and acceding states along with 18 contracting states as of this month. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok underscored the alignment between IOMed's work and the Department of Justice's ongoing efforts to harmonize mediation practices across the three jurisdictions.
Key Points
- IOMed was inaugurated in October 2025 and has since attracted 48 signatory and acceding states and 18 contracting states as of September 2026
- The Greater Bay Area scheme links Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province into an integrated economic and business hub
- Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah (鄭若驊), IOMed Secretary General and former Hong Kong secretary for justice, said the body can handle disputes among the three bay area jurisdictions
- Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok (林定國) described the Greater Bay Area as a "good example" of IOMed's scope of work at the forum titled "Fireside chat – The journey to peace and prosperity through dialogue"
- The Department of Justice has been working to harmonize different sets of mediation rules and practices across the three jurisdictions
Why It Matters
Hong Kong's role as IOMed's headquarters gives the city a unique position as a neutral mediation hub for disputes involving parties from different legal traditions. The ability to resolve commercial and investor-state disputes through a Hong Kong-based body strengthens the city's value proposition as a gateway between mainland China and international markets. This development could attract more cross-border business activity to the Greater Bay Area by providing greater certainty for dispute resolution.
Hong Kong's role as IOMed's headquarters gives the city a unique position as a neutral mediation hub for disputes involving parties from different legal traditions. The ability to resolve commercial and investor-state disputes through a Hong Kong-based body strengthens the city's value proposition as a gateway between mainland China and international markets. This development could attract more cross-border business activity to the Greater Bay Area by providing greater certainty for dispute resolution.