Hong Kong’s global mediation centre open to developed nations, Western countries
Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung assures centre’s services available to all despite developing nations being its founding members
Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan on Saturday also addressed the possible direct competition with other dispute resolution hubs, including Singapore, outlining Hong Kong’s distinct advantages such as its “one country, two systems” governing principle.
Hong Kong’s International Organisation for Mediation, established last month to create an intergovernmental platform for resolving global disputes, has 33 founding member countries, including Algeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Belarus, Venezuela and Cuba.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi presided over its signing ceremony.
Asked whether the development status of the founding members affected perceptions about the diversity of the legal body, Cheung said all nations were welcome to use its services.
“Many of the initiating countries are developing countries, or from the Global South,” Cheung told a radio programme. “But this does not mean we are excluding developed nations or Western countries.