World’s First Intergovernmental Mediation Body Established

Petra Williams

www.petrathespectator.com

May 30, 2025 – Thirty-two countries are founding members of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), the world’s first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation.  The signing ceremony was held in South China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) earlier today.

This initiative was initially launched in 2022 in response to concerns about the limitations of existing trade settlement dispute mechanisms. Dispute settlements relied on judicial adjudication and arbitration, which did not produce consistent positive outcomes or foster a level playing field in the resolution process.

The birth of the IOMed marks a new era in the international dispute settlement mechanism. “It represents an innovative response to the United Nations (UN) Charter’s principle of peaceful dispute settlement.” The framework extends beyond traditional dispute resolution mechanisms and offers a more comprehensive and diversified system for resolving international disputes. It provides greater flexibility and convenience, reduces costs, and has the potential for more effective implementation.

More than 400 high-level representatives from 85 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, and nearly 20 international organizations, including the United Nations, attended Friday’s signing event.

Representatives from over 30 countries, including China, Cuba, Indonesia, Pakistan, Laos, Cambodia, and Serbia, participated in the signing ceremony.

Leading the signing ceremony Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed congratulations to the organization’s founding member states. He stated that by attending, there is a mutual understanding of the need to advance the peaceful resolution of disputes and foster friendly cooperation among nations.  “China has long advocated for handling differences with a spirit of mutual understanding and consensus-building through dialogue, while aiming to provide ‘Chinese wisdom’ for resolving conflicts between nations.”

Wang Yi said the IOMed is designed to foster voluntary mediation of disputes between states, between states and foreign investors, and international commercial disputes. The institution will fill the institutional gap in international mediation and serve as a crucial public good for the rule of law, strengthening global governance.

Upon signing, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, expressed the country’s desire to participate actively in this global initiative and emphasized Pakistan’s appreciation for China’s continued support of multilateral cooperation.

Other speakers included Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and UN Under-SecretaryGeneral Li Junhua. Acknowledging that the IOMed is in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, they stressed its importance to multilateralism, global governance, and global rule of law, and called on more countries to sign and ratify the convention.

A Global Forum on International Mediation was included, which held discussions on various topics, including the mediation of disputes among countries and the mediation of international investment and commercial disputes. High-level representatives from twentythree countries and international organisations expressed their perspectives on how a neutral third party, as established in the new intergovernmental mediation body, can effectively assist in mediating disputes through dialogue and consultation. The speakers also discussed the latest developments in global investment and commercial dispute mediation and the role of IOMed.

Amid the current global trade conditions, the broad support from developing countries for the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) could strengthen China’s international influence and encourage a more assertive role for the world’s second-largest economy in global governance.

The organisation is expected to commence operations by early 2026.