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Hong Kong mediation body says it is ready for state-to-state cases
The International Organisation for Mediation says six countries have nominated 26 mediators so far, and it is seeing inquiries for its services.
A former Hong Kong justice minister now leading an intergovernmental mediation body said the organization is prepared to handle state-to-state disputes. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, secretary general of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), said Hong Kong is positioned to act as an international legal hub in Asia and that the group has already received inquiries and expressions of interest in its services, according to the South China Morning Post.
Cheng said the organization has rules and institutional infrastructure in place, and that its main prerequisite for a first case is securing consent from both parties to proceed with mediation. She said IOMed is focused on becoming able to manage disputes once parties agree to the process.
She added that six countries have nominated mediators to participate in state-to-state matters. IOMed said China, Nicaragua, Kenya, Myanmar, Pakistan and Kiribati have nominated 26 mediators drawn from diplomatic and legal backgrounds, including former Pakistan ambassadors to China Masood Khalid and Naghmana Alamgir Hashmi, attorney general of the Union of Myanmar Thida Oo, and former International Criminal Court judge Joyce Aluoch from Kenya.