Chinese envoy: IOMed to promote peaceful dispute resolution

A Chinese diplomat said on Friday that the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) will serve as a leading intergovernmental organization to help settle international disputes through mediation.

Li Song, China's permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna, made the remarks at a promotion reception for the IOMed held during the 58th session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

Noting that the UN Charter clearly stipulates mediation as one of the preferred methods for the peaceful settlement of international disputes, Li said the IOMed will be the world's first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation.

UNCITRAL Secretary Anna Joubin-Bret recalled witnessing the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the IOMed in south China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region earlier this year. She expressed hope that the IOMed would strengthen cooperation with UNCITRAL in the future to jointly promote the development of the international rule of law.

The IOMed is an important global public good provided by China together with countries sharing similar ideas, aiming to meet the development trend and growing need for international mediation.

According to the IOMed convention, the organization will provide mediation services for three types of international disputes submitted by the parties by mutual consent expressed before or after disputes arise: disputes between states; commercial or investment disputes between a state and a national of another state; and international commercial disputes between private parties.