Hong Kong chief John Lee Ka-chiu mentioned the physique’s standing could be on par with the UN’s Worldwide Court docket of Justice.
The Chinese language authorities has signed a conference establishing a global mediation organisation positioned in Hong Kong, with Beijing hoping it’s going to rival the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ) because the world’s main battle decision physique.
The Conference on the Institution of the Worldwide Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) was signed into legislation on Friday, in a ceremony presided over by Chinese language Minister of International Affairs Wang Yi in Hong Kong.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from a number of nations, together with Indonesia, Pakistan, Laos, Cambodia and Serbia. Representatives from 20 worldwide our bodies, together with the United Nations, additionally attended the ceremony, based on Hong Kong’s RTHK public broadcaster.
A video proven on the signing ceremony mentioned the scope of instances dealt with by the physique would come with disputes between nations, between a rustic and nationals of one other nation, and between non-public worldwide entities.
Beijing plans for the physique to cement Hong Kong’s presence as a high world mediation hub, because it hopes to bolster town’s waning worldwide credentials.
In an un-bylined opinion piece printed in China’s state-run International Instances newspaper, IOMed was described because the “world’s first intergovernmental worldwide authorized organisation devoted to resolving worldwide disputes by way of mediation”.
IOMed would fill a “crucial hole in mechanisms targeted on mediation-based dispute decision”, it mentioned.
“The institution of the Worldwide Organisation for Mediation marks a milestone in world governance and highlights the worth of resolving conflicts in an ‘amicable manner’,” it added.
The ICJ – the principal judicial organ of the UN, also called the World Court docket – is presently the highest physique for fixing authorized disputes between member states in accordance with worldwide legislation. It additionally offers advisory opinions on authorized questions referred to it by UN our bodies.
Hong Kong Chief Govt John Lee Ka-chiu mentioned this week that IOMed’s standing could be on par with the UN our bodies the ICJ and the Everlasting Court docket of Arbitration in The Hague.
Lee mentioned it will additionally assist convey “substantial” financial advantages and job alternatives, in addition to stimulate varied sectors together with hospitality and transport, to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has skilled sustained financial stagnation since its handover again to Chinese language rule in 1997 after greater than a century and a half as a British colony.
Investor confidence has been rocked by Beijing’s growing management over all features of life within the territory – together with the economic system – whereas gloom additionally persists concerning the state of China’s post-pandemic restoration.
In an opinion piece printed within the South China Morning Submit, Hong Kong’s Justice Secretary Paul Lam mentioned IOMed would assist Hong Kong deal with challenges introduced by “hostile exterior forces” which are “trying to de-internationalise and de-functionalise” it.
“To deal with such a problem, Hong Kong must make good use of the IOMed headquarters as a spotlight for strengthening town as a global dispute decision centre, in order to present full play to its institutional benefits underneath the ‘one nation, two methods’ framework,” Lam mentioned, referring to China’s mannequin of governing Hong Kong, which nominally permits it a stage of autonomy.
The IOMed headquarters, resulting from open by the top of this yr or in early 2026, will likely be positioned at a former police station in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district.