Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation signed in Hong Kong

The Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOM Convention) was signed at a ceremony held in Hong Kong on 30 May 2025 (the text of the IOM Convention is available here).

The International Organization for Mediation (IOM) will be the first intergovernmental organisation dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation (as we previously reported here). It will provide mediation services for state-to-state disputes, disputes between states and nationals of other states, and international commercial disputes between private parties.

33 countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe (including China, which will act as the depository of the IOM Convention) signed as founding members, and the ceremony was attended by representatives of more than 50 additional countries and nearly 20 international organisations (including the United Nations), according to the press release issued by the Hong Kong government. The full list of signatories has not yet been made available on the IOM website.

The headquarters of the IOM will be located in Hong Kong and housed in a historic four-storey building with a gross floor area of over 5,000 square meters (see here for more information).  The IOM could open its doors as early as the end of 2025, according to a speech delivered by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Mr John Lee, at the signing ceremony (available here).

For a summary of key provisions of the IOM Convention and important pending developments, see this post on our Public International Law Notes blog.