HONG KONG, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Global Mediation Summit kicked off in Hong Kong on Friday, hosted by the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) as its first major international event since its inauguration last October.

Gathering in-person or online participants from more than 60 jurisdictions, including government officials, representatives of the commercial, legal and academic communities, the summit served as a high-level platform for in-depth exchanges on facilitating the peaceful settlement of international disputes through effective mediation and fostering a global mediation ecosystem.

Participants agreed to advance mediation as an accessible and important dispute resolution alternative for more countries and businesses.

Addressing the summit, John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said that IOMed has registered rapid growth since its inauguration last October. The number of signatory states to the IOMed convention has grown from 37 at the time of inauguration to 41 at present, and the number of contracting states that have ratified the convention has grown from 8 to 13.

Endowed with the unique institutional strength of "one country, two systems," the city serves as a gateway to both the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world. As outlined in the national 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong is well-equipped and well-positioned to build itself into "the capital of mediation," he noted.

In early May, a maritime dispute was successfully resolved via mediation administered by IOMed at its Hong Kong headquarters.

In her opening remarks at the summit, Teresa Cheng, secretary-general of IOMed, said that the case represents "an important milestone," being the first international maritime dispute concerning a charterparty chain to be referred to IOMed for mediation.

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 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.

In his opening remarks, Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, stated that China will continue supporting IOMed and called for wider international participation. Paul Lam, secretary for justice of the HKSAR government, stressed his department's past and ongoing support for IOMed.

Willy Bett, vice chairperson of the IOMed Governing Council and Kenyan Ambassador to China, and Qi Dahai, director-general of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, delivered keynote speeches at the summit. Both stressed the need to elevate mediation from a passive alternative to a first-choice dispute resolution instrument, calling for sustained, coordinated efforts to nurture a global mediation culture.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, IOMed is the world's first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation.