A NEW BODY FOR THE RESOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES: THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MEDIATION (IOMed)

Translated by Irene Cecchi

On May 30th 2025, a new global entity was born: the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed). The treaty establishing this new body was signed by 33 countries, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Laos, Cambodia, Serbia, Venezuela, Belarus, and Cuba. However, the signing ceremony was attended by representatives from a total of 85 countries and nearly 20 international organizations.

As the name suggests, the organization aims to serve as a new platform for resolving international disputes, whether between states, between a state and a private citizen of another nationality or between private international commercial entities. Its creation marks a turning point in international law: IOMed is the first intergovernmental organization to rely exclusively on mediation to resolve such disputes. Traditionally, disputes between states are handled by international courts, tribunals or arbitration panels that follow formal judicial procedures. In those cases, the parties must consent to submit the dispute to an independent body, which then issues a binding decision. In contrast, IOMed offers a different space to settle disputes: a more flexible setting where parties retain autonomy and freely choose how to resolve their dispute in the name of a grounded in trust in the spirit of friendship and willingness to cooperate, as articulated in the general principles found in Article 4 of the founding convention. The difference is that mediation lacks both coercive authority and binding outcomes. It is an extra-judicial process that proceeds via diplomatic rather than legal channels. In detail, it involves a third-party mediator —an individual with legal expertise and good relations with the parties— who offers a concrete proposal for resolving the dispute. Although not binding, the proposal is designed to help the parties reach a mutually acceptable agreement. As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted in his speech at the signing ceremony, this method breaks away from zero-sum thinking, where one side wins and the other loses, and instead embraces win-win solutions.

The organization will be headquartered in Hong Kong. The choice of the former British colony is not accidental. Hong Kong itself is a symbol of peaceful conflict resolution, having served as the basis for the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. Furthermore, the Special Administrative Region is known for its bilingual, independent judiciary rooted in common law, which places high value on legal interpretation and dispute resolution.

IOMed was launched at the initiative of Beijing, following three years of negotiations. Its establishment coincides with a decline in U.S. influence, as evidenced by a sharp drop in approval ratings in a recent poll conducted by U.S. business intelligence firm Morning Consult. The International Organization for Mediation could thus be seen as another step in China’s effort to present itself as a viable alternative to the Western-led international model established after World War II. China has made similar moves before, for example, by founding the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a counterpart to the World Bank. In this case, the challenge is directed at institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the World Trade Organization. The main target audience for this new body is the Global South with the goal of giving these countries more visibility, representation and influence in global governance.

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