Western and developed countries are welcome to use services offered by Hong Kong’s newly established global mediation centre, a senior official has said, dismissing concerns over the institute’s founding members being primarily developing nations.
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” policy.
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 also presided over the landmark signing ceremony.
Asked on Saturday whether the centre’s founding members comprised mainly developing countries, which could affect the perceived diversity of the convention, Cheung said all nations were welcome to use the services.
“Many of the initiating countries are developing countries, or from the Global South,” Cheung told a radio programme.
