A maritime dispute was successfully resolved  in early May via mediation administered by the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) at its Hong Kong headquarters.

IOMed Secretary-General Teresa Cheng said Friday the case represents "an important milestone" as the first international maritime dispute concerning a charterparty chain to be mediated by the organization. IOMed is the world's first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, officially established on May 30, 2025.

Cheng made the announcement in her opening remarks at the inaugural Global Mediation Summit hosted by IOMed on Friday. The event marks the organization's first major international gathering since its inauguration last October.

According to Cheng, the dispute involved parties from China and Singapore. It has been fully settled with a written settlement agreement reached, bringing all disputes arising from the charterparty chain to a complete and effective conclusion.

She noted that the case is "a landmark achievement for IOMed and also a significant milestone for Hong Kong's maritime industry, especially its maritime legal and dispute resolution services."

Meanwhile, the IOMed Secretariat is collaborating with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and other stakeholders to explore the establishment of a dedicated special panel of mediators for commodities market disputes under the IOMed framework.

The proposed panel will provide specialized mediators across the full commodities value chain, from upstream to downstream activities, she said, noting this move will promote using IOMed mediation as the prime mechanism to resolve international commodities disputes and will strengthen market confidence and facilitate cross-border transactions.

"We hope this will demonstrate IOMed's responsiveness to evolving needs of global commerce and international investment transactions," she said.