HK to host Global Mediation Summit

May 7, 2026

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The International Organization for Mediation or IOMed will tomorrow stage the Global Mediation Summit at the Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Aiming to promote and build a mediation ecosystem globally, the event will bring together government officials, mediation experts, and legal counsel from renowned enterprises and international organisations.

International Organization for Mediation Secretary-General Teresa Cheng:
The Global Mediation Summit is the first major event organised by the International Organization for Mediation. We hope that more people would know about mediation and understand that the mediation services that we provide include that of state-to-state, investor-state, and international commercial. We have registrants of over 1,000, from 60 countries and regions.

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At the summit, Chief Executive John Lee will officiate and give a special address.

Keynote speeches will also be delivered by IOMed Governing Council Vice-Chairperson and Kenyan Ambassador to China Willy Bett, and by Director General of the Treaty & Law Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Qi Dahai.

The summit will feature three panel discussion sessions, exploring various aspects of mediation from the perspectives of mediators, clients, and other stakeholders, and examining how they can work together to facilitate mediation.

International Organization for Mediation Secretary-General Teresa Cheng:
We have participants from bodies such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, from the International Committee of the Red Cross, from representatives who have actually used mediation as a state official, and of course those who have actually conducted mediation as mediators. So that sharing onstage is going to be part of the training that the audience will get.

And in terms of the audience, we have a very large representative from all our signatory states, who are a good representative of states from the Global South, and therefore their exchanges amongst themselves would be very useful, and that will already be a very good capacity-building exercise.

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Since the inauguration of the IOMed last year, the number of Signatory States to the IOMed Convention has reached 41.

The Global Mediation Summit, organised by the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), will be held tomorrow at the Convention & Exhibition Centre, with Chief Executive John Lee officiating and delivering a special address.

With the support of key sponsors the Department of Justice and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, the summit is geared towards establishing Hong Kong as a global mediation capital. It will bring together leading mediation experts, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world to explore topics such as cross-cultural international mediation, financial and investment dispute mediation, and the development of a global mediation ecosystem.

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will give opening remarks.

Keynote speeches will be delivered by IOMed Governing Council Vice-Chairperson and Kenyan Ambassador to China H.E. Willy Bett, and by Director General of the Treaty & Law Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Qi Dahai.

The summit will feature three panel discussion sessions, enabling former government officials, law professionals, academics and leaders of international institutions in the field of dispute resolution, from China and around the world, to share their insights and experience in relation to three core themes: “The Facilitators of Peace: Wisdom from World-class Mediators”; “The Clients’ Voice: Why States and Investors Choose Mediation”; and “Beyond the Horizon: Developing the Global Mediation Ecosystem”.

The event will take place from 8.30am to 5.30pm, with in-person attendance augmented by live-streaming. It will be conducted in English. Simultaneous interpretation in Putonghua and Cantonese will be provided.

Ahead of the summit, IOMed Secretary-General Prof Teresa Cheng highlighted that it is the first major event to be staged by the organisation.

“We hope that more people would know about mediation and understand that the mediation services that we provide include that of state-to-state, investor-state, and international commercial.”

Prof Cheng highlighted that the summit has more than 1,000 registrants, hailing from 60 countries or regions. They include participants from bodies such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as state officials and experienced mediators.

“So that sharing onstage is going to be part of the training that the audience will get.”

Prof Cheng added: “In terms of the audience, we have a very large representative from all our signatory states, who are a good representative of states from the Global South, and therefore their exchanges amongst themselves would be very useful, and that will already be a very good capacity-building exercise.”

Following the IOMed's inauguration last year, the number of signatory states to the IOMed Convention has reached 41.

The IOMed has also begun formulating systematic training programmes. On May 9, it will host its first closed-door seminar, tailored to signatory states, as part of a drive to offer capacity-building services in the mediation sphere.