A side event introducing the newly established International Organization for Mediation was held on Wednesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York during International Law Week. China's envoy to the UN called for raising awareness of the organization among member states and for broader participation.

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said that three years ago, China and like-minded countries initiated the establishment of an International Organization for Mediation to promote the peaceful settlement of international disputes and foster friendship and cooperation among nations.

The Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation was signed in May, entered into force in August, and started operating in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in October, he said.

As the initiator and host country, China co-hosted a side event at the UN to introduce the new organization to member states. "We would like to present this new intergovernmental legal organization to UN member states and encourage more countries to join the IOMed in advancing the peaceful settlement of international disputes," Geng said.

"The IOMed embodies the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and thus will help maintain a stable and harmonious international order. Its vision is highly consistent with China's Global Governance Initiative, and thus will contribute developing countries' strength to better global governance. It focuses on real results and high efficiency, and thus will offer a valuable complement to existing dispute settlement mechanisms."

The organization aims to complement existing mechanisms for litigation and arbitration by providing a platform that emphasizes autonomy, flexibility and efficiency in mediation, Geng said.

Building capacity

Sun Jin, deputy secretary-general of the IOMed, said the new body will promote cooperation in mediation and support member states in building capacity.

It offers an "open, inclusive, affordable and efficient" mechanism dedicated to mediation, Sun said. "It is designed to complement existing peaceful settlement mechanisms and to stand as a new public good for the international community."

The organization will maintain panels of mediators for different types of disputes, organize training and exchanges, and establish a mediation fund to support related activities, particularly for developing countries, he said.

Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, underscored the shared belief that diplomacy and mediation remain indispensable for sustainable peace and security.

"The IOMed provides a principled, impartial and rule-based mechanism to resolve interstate, commercial and investor-state disputes peacefully, by reinforcing predictability, fairness and cooperation. It strengthens confidence in international law, including the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and global economic governance."

Jaime Hermida Castillo, Nicaragua's permanent representative to the UN, described the IOMed as "a gesture of legal dignity for the Global South", which promotes "voluntary mediation with mutual respect, without any threat or condition of sponsorship". It aims to offer "a more humane, more balanced and more truthful approach "to resolving disputes, he said.