Hong Kong is a perfect partner in mediation, and welcomes exchanges on how it can enhance co-operation among jurisdictions in the region and beyond, Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen said today.
Mr Yuen was addressing an audience of legal and dispute resolution practitioners at the Asia Pacific International Mediation Summit in New Delhi organised by the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
In less than a decade, mediation has become much more popular than before in Hong Kong, Mr Yuen said, pointing to factors such as government policy, an appropriate legislative framework, strong institutional support, joint efforts of the legal and dispute-resolution sectors, and promotion and publicity efforts.
Looking ahead, Mr Yuen said that the Department of Justice, with the help of the steering committee on mediation, are working to ensure mediation’s sustainable and healthy development in Hong Kong.
Initiatives include introducing an apology legislation, mediation specialisation, and developing a close relationship between mediation and other forms of dispute resolution.
Mr Yuen also met with UNCITRAL Secretary Renaud Sorieul and UNCITRAL’s regional centre head Joao Ribeiro, to discuss dispute resolution services’ promotion in the region.
