The inauguration ceremony of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), headquartered in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), was held in Hong Kong, south China, on October 20.

The event marked a milestone in international conflict resolution as the IOMed is the world's first intergovernmental international legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation.

The occasion gathered nearly 200 representatives from contracting parties and signatories of the Convention on the Establishment of the IOMed, as well as people from various sectors of the HKSAR.

In her opening remarks, Hua Chunying, vice minister of Foreign Affairs of China, emphasized that the speed of IOMed from Convention-signing to inauguration is "unprecedented in the history of establishing international organizations" and speaks to the fact that the establishment of the IOMed "echoes the core of our times and responds to the aspirations of the international community for the peaceful settlement of international disputes."

"The vision behind the establishment of the IOMed is highly consistent with that of the Global Governance Initiative," she said, believing that the organization will "give a boost to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity" and help Hong Kong forge the new title of the "capital of mediation."

Addressing the occasion, John Lee, chief executive of the HKSAR, said Hong Kong enjoys both the China advantage and the global advantage, and boasts an established tradition of the rule of law.

Hong Kong takes pride in being a "super connector" and "super value-adder", and is honored to serve as the Organization's home, Lee said, pledging full support for the development of the IOMed and dispute settlement efforts.

Teresa Cheng, the newly elected secretary-general of the IOMed, said the organization cherishes and practices multilateralism, serving as a global public good and vital pillar in the field of peaceful settlement of international disputes.

Representatives from the contracting states including Nicaragua, Venezuela, the Republic of the Congo, Kiribati, Pakistan, Kenya and Dominica delivered speeches. They lauded the significance of the IOMed and expressed their expectation to take this platform to promote the peaceful settlement of international disputes and contribute to building a more fair and reasonable international order.

The signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) was held on May 30, and the Convention officially entered into force on August 29.

So far, the total number of signatory states has reached 37. Eight countries have ratified the Convention, including China, Nicaragua, Venezuela, the Republic of the Congo, Kiribati, Pakistan, Kenya and Dominica.

Having been converted from the Old Wan Chai Police Station, a heritage building, the headquarters of the IOMed is equipped with meeting rooms and discussion rooms for mediation work and capacity-building.