Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Global Mediation Summit, the first international conference organised by the International Organization for Mediation, or IOMed, was held at the Convention & Exhibition Centre today, with Chief Executive John Lee officiating.

Speaking at the event, Mr Lee noted that the National 15th Five-Year Plan has expressed support for IOMed, and emphasised that this backing ensures Hong Kong will play a key role in the peaceful resolution of international disputes through mediation in the long term.

“As IOMed’s headquarters, Hong Kong is at the very heart of global dispute resolution and its promising future,” Mr Lee said.

“The National 15th Five-Year Plan, I am pleased to note, has expressed support to IOMed. That ensures that Hong Kong will play a key role in the peaceful resolution of disputes by mediation, long down the road,” he added.

“Hong Kong will continue to build on our partnership with IOMed. Together, we will work to develop Hong Kong as a global mediation centre, and we invite governments, companies, investors and others to make optimal use of the mediation services provided by IOMed.”

Mr Lee also highlighted that since its inauguration last October, the number of signatory states to the IOMed Convention has climbed from 37 to 41, while the number of contracting states has risen from eight to 13.

The summit drew over 400 leaders, senior officials and professionals from 48 countries and regions to share their experience and insights on international mediation.

IOMed Governing Council Vice-chairperson Willy Bett noted that establishing the headquarters in Hong Kong significantly bolsters the trust of many countries.

“IOMed’s positioning or location in Hong Kong, and the support the Hong Kong SAR and the People’s Republic of China in general, has made IOMed gain confidence with many countries,” he said.

“And Hong Kong has a lot of experience in handling international matters. And therefore, even the location of Hong Kong in itself being at the heart of Asia and the Pacific, it puts it in a unique position to be a more central place to settle most of these disputes,” Mr Bett added.

Another speaker, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Conciliator Panel Member Wolf Von Kumberg, who is an independent arbitrator and mediator himself, said Hong Kong is well positioned to become a global mediation capital.

“For mediation to work, you have to ensure that the parties feel comfortable in going to a particular venue that is both stable and also is a safe place to go,” he noted.

“Hong Kong is very well placed because for decades, Hong Kong has been a commercial hub where investors could come from all over the world into a very stable environment,” he added.

“By putting a mediation institute here, it is a place that is recognised by global stakeholders to help them then to resolve these disputes.”

With the support of the Department of Justice and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy as the key sponsors, the summit concludes Mediation Week 2026.

The event has explored international cross-cultural mediation, financial and investment dispute resolution and the development of a global mediation ecosystem.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 3

The symposium is organised by the Arts Education (AE) Section of the Curriculum Development Institute (CDI), the Education Bureau (EDB), with support from 13 local universities. Themed “Visual Innovation”, the symposium aims to enhance the learning and teaching of visual arts and design, facilitate participants’ grasp of the latest developments in the design field and the application of innovative technologies, cultivate visual thinking and higher-order thinking skills, strengthen vocational and professional education and training, and provide a platform for exchange among teachers and students.15 May 2026 (Friday) 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
16 May 2026 (Saturday) 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Venue

Exhibition Gallery, G/F, Hong Kong Central Library

For further details of the symposium and the exhibition, please visit the Arts Education Key Learning Area Webpage: Click Here

 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the Global Mediation Summit under Mediation Week 2026 today (May 8):
 
Secretary-General Cheng (Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation, Professor Teresa Cheng), Commissioner Cui (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Cui Jianchun), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good morning. The Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy under the DoJ are extremely honoured to be the key sponsors of today’s Global Mediation Summit organised by the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed).
 
     Time really flies. I still remember that we hosted the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the IOMed on May 30 last year. Shortly after that, we completed the conversion of the Old Wan Chai Police Station into the IOMed Headquarters. On October 20 last year, the formal inauguration and first Governing Council meeting of the IOMed were held. It is indeed remarkable that, within less than a year following the signing of the Convention, the number of signatories has increased to 41, out of which 13 have ratified the Convention and hence become Contracting States.
 
     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, in particular the DoJ, will continue to support the work of the IOMed in different ways. First, it will be responsible for the maintenance of the Headquarters. Second, the DoJ will continue to second Hong Kong legal professionals to the IOMed Secretariat. Since 2023, the DoJ has already seconded a total of four counsel to assist in the establishment of the IOMed. Third, the Government will actively promote the use of IOMed mediation by, among other things, taking the lead in procuring the inclusion of an IOMed mediation clause in suitable international agreements to which the HKSAR Government is a party.
 
     Furthermore, we are at the preparatory stage of the construction of an entirely new Hong Kong International Legal Service Building, which will be located adjacent to the IOMed Headquarters. In addition to the provision of training and dispute resolution facilities, space has been reserved for the IOMed in anticipation of its future needs.
 
     I would venture to say that Hong Kong provides the ideal ecosystem for the conduct of international mediation under the IOMed. 
 
     To begin with, Hong Kong is well recognised as a leading international legal and dispute resolution services centre. Indeed, one of the mandates stated in the National 15th Five-Year Plan is that Hong Kong shall strengthen its status in this respect.
 
     To be more specific on mediation, Hong Kong aims at establishing itself as the Global Capital of Mediation. Back in 2009, the DoJ launched the “Mediate First” Pledge campaign. The Pledge is a non-legally binding statement of commitment by pledgees to first explore the use of mediation to resolve disputes before resorting to other means of dispute resolution. To date, over 1 000 companies, organisations or associations and individuals have signed the Pledge. Since 2012, the DoJ has been organising the Mediation Week biennially to promote the wider use of mediation in Hong Kong. Today’s Summit is indeed the finale of this year’s Mediation Week. On November 6, 2024, the DoJ issued the Policy Statement on the Incorporation of Mediation Clauses in Government Contracts, under which the Government, as a matter of general policy, would incorporate a mediation clause in all government contracts. The policy has taken effect since February 6, 2025. The Working Group on Mediation Regulatory System, established by the DoJ in October 2024, has already completed a comprehensive review and made a series of recommendations, including a proposal to introduce legislative amendments to the Mediation Ordinance. The DoJ will take forward the legislative amendment work in the second half of 2026. Furthermore, capacity-building programmes offered by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, set up by the DoJ in late 2024, would include mediation wherever appropriate.
 
     One of Hong Kong’s strengths is its strong pool of legal professionals who are proficient and experienced in international dispute resolution. It is noteworthy that 10 out of the 24 mediators designated by China to the IOMed’s General Panel of Mediators come from Hong Kong.
 
     Let us not forget that Hong Kong is located in the heart of Asia, and within a five-hour flight of half of the world’s population. It is an international, cosmopolitan city which offers a safe, inclusive and friendly environment to people coming from other parts of the world.
 
     All in all, we are very confident that the IOMed, with its Headquarters in Hong Kong, will make significant contributions to the international rule of law. The HKSAR Government, in particular the DoJ, will continue to do its utmost to promote and support the work of the IOMed in the future. On this note, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all a most constructive Summit. Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed “Twilight”, “Greenlane”, “Fastrack” and “Contribute”; anti-illegal worker joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force, and a joint operation with Hong Kong Customs, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Hong Kong Police Force, from April 30 to yesterday (May 7). 
 
During the anti-illegal worker operations, investigators raided multiple target locations including warehouses, massage parlours and flats under renovation. Sixteen suspected illegal workers, five suspected employers and two overstayers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised seven men and nine women, aged 21 to 63. Among them, one man was holding a recognisance form which prohibits him from taking any employment, and one woman was suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card. Three men and two women, aged 37 to 66, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.
 
An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”

The spokesman warned, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years. Under the prevailing laws, it is an offence to use or possess a forged identity card or an identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.”
 
The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
 
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
 
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
 
For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 185 185, fax 2824 1166, email anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the “Online Reporting of Immigration Offences” form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 3

The symposium is organised by the Arts Education (AE) Section of the Curriculum Development Institute (CDI), the Education Bureau (EDB), with support from 13 local universities. Themed “Visual Innovation”, the symposium aims to enhance the learning and teaching of visual arts and design, facilitate participants’ grasp of the latest developments in the design field and the application of innovative technologies, cultivate visual thinking and higher-order thinking skills, strengthen vocational and professional education and training, and provide a platform for exchange among teachers and students.15 May 2026 (Friday) 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
16 May 2026 (Saturday) 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Venue

Exhibition Gallery, G/F, Hong Kong Central Library

For further details of the symposium and the exhibition, please visit the Arts Education Key Learning Area Webpage: Click Here

 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region