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2026
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.
The Global Mediation Summit, organised by the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), will be held tomorrow at the Convention & Exhibition Centre, with Chief Executive John Lee officiating and delivering a special address. With the support of key sponsors the Department of Justice and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, the summit is geared towards establishing Hong Kong as a global mediation capital. It will bring together leading mediation experts, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world to explore topics such as cross-cultural international mediation, financial and investment dispute mediation, and the development of a global mediation ecosystem. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will give opening remarks. Keynote speeches will be delivered by IOMed Governing Council Vice-Chairperson and Kenyan Ambassador to China H.E. Willy Bett, and by Director General of the Treaty & Law Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Qi Dahai. The summit will feature three panel discussion sessions, enabling former government officials, law professionals, academics and leaders of international institutions in the field of dispute resolution, from China and around the world, to share their insights and experience in relation to three core themes: “The Facilitators of Peace: Wisdom from World-class Mediators”; “The Clients’ Voice: Why States and Investors Choose Mediation”; and “Beyond the Horizon: Developing the Global Mediation Ecosystem”. The event will take place from 8.30am to 5.30pm, with in-person attendance augmented by live-streaming. It will be conducted in English. Simultaneous interpretation in Putonghua and Cantonese will be provided.
The Security Bureau was notified today by Guangdong's Nuclear Emergency Committee Office regarding an operational event at the Taishan Nuclear Power Station involving the discovery of foreign material. While the station’s Unit 1 was undergoing a planned overhaul on April 30, foreign material was identified during a video inspection of steam generator number 3. Following the completion of inspections on May 2, two pieces of curled, chip-like material, measuring approximately 1.5cm by 1.5cm and 3.5cm by 1.3cm, were successfully removed. The station is currently conducting traceability analysis of the objects. The bureau stressed that Unit 1 remained in a safe condition throughout the event. All three safety barriers remained intact and there was no release of radioactive substances. The incident had no impact on the unit’s safety, the health of workers, the public or the environment. The event was classified as a Level 0 deviation on May 1 in accordance with the International Nuclear & Radiological Event Scale and relevant nuclear safety regulations.
The Department of Justice today launched Mediation Week 2026 under the theme “Mediate First: An Attempt of Mediation Harvests Abundant Harmony”, beginning with a school mediation seminar. The five-day programme, aims to promote mediation as an amicable way to resolve conflicts and foster a more harmonious community. Seminars throughout the week will cover disputes related to schools, sports, the elderly and neighbourhoods. Addressing the kick-off event, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said young people are the future and that the Government is committed to embedding a mediation culture within schools. Mr Lam noted that this year's Mediation Week aims to promote the values of diversified solutions and harmonious relationships, and he encouraged students to use mediation skills to achieve win-win solutions in a peaceful and rational manner. The opening seminar, titled “Capital of Mediation: You are the Future”, featured a session where peer-trained students demonstrated how mediation builds communication skills and empowers them to address disputes collaboratively. A second session highlighted winners of the Mediation Essay Competition 2026. This year, the competition expanded for the first time to include students from across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its 11th day today, with the reopening of five low-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 10 middle-zone floors of Wang Kin House. Supported by the “one social worker per household” service, 457 residents from 117 households returned to their units – exceeding the 437 individuals initially registered. The Government described the access arrangements as orderly and smooth. Residents spent an average of two hours and 25 minutes on-site, from a minimum of 14 minutes to a maximum of three hours and 40 minutes. Approximately 77% of residents completed their visits in under three hours, while 27% stayed for less than two hours and 4% left within an hour. Regarding movement, 123 individuals from 65 households made multiple trips to their units. Among them, 55 people from 25 households made one additional trip, 48 people from 26 households made two more, 15 people from 11 households made three extra, three people from two households made four additional, and two people from the same household made five or more trips. The integrated enquiry counter today handled nine requests for Police assistance, as well as one case involving physical discomfort. The nine cases requesting Police assistance were related to suspected property loss such as watches, jewellery, cash and gold. In one case, the unit concerned was severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. In another five cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned. For the remaining three cases, Police will make further investigations.
The Immigration Department estimates that around six million passengers will pass through Hong Kong’s sea, land and air control points during the Mainland's Labour Day Golden Week from May 1 to May 5. In consultation with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection and other Mainland authorities, the department estimates that around five million passengers will pass through land boundary control points. Releasing the information in a statement today, the department said the number of outbound and inbound passengers using the boundary control points will be highest on May 2 and May 3, with around 636,000 passengers and 688,000 passengers anticipated on those days respectively. The department also expects passenger traffic at the Lo Wu Control Point, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point and the Shenzhen Bay Control Point to be heavy, with daily average forecasts of about 246,000, 227,000 and 172,000 passengers respectively. To cope with the anticipated heavy traffic, the department has minimised leave for frontline officers to allow flexible deployment and operation of additional counters, temporary counters and channels. To ensure smooth passenger traffic flows, the department, the Police Force, Customs and the MTR Corporation will set up a joint command centre at the Lo Wu Control Point. The department will also establish close communication with Mainland authorities including the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection. Residents and visitors can access Easy Boundary, a one-stop information platform on immigration clearance launched by the Security Bureau, to obtain useful information. This includes average waiting times for passengers and private cars at land boundary control points, as well as for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge cross-boundary shuttle bus and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus.
The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its seventh day today, with the reopening of five middle-zone floors at Wang Cheong House and 10 low-zone floors at Wang Tao House. Supported by the “one social worker per household” service, 424 residents from 116 households returned to their units – slightly exceeding the 418 individuals initially registered. The Government described the access arrangements as orderly. Residents spent an average of two hours and 26 minutes on-site. Recorded stays ranged from a minimum of 21 minutes to a maximum of nearly four hours. Approximately 77% of residents completed their visits in under three hours, while 26% stayed for less than two hours and 4% left within an hour. Regarding movement, 151 individuals from 62 households made multiple trips to their units. Most made one or two additional entries, while a small group of nine people from six households made up to seven trips. The integrated enquiry counter handled nine requests for assistance today, including seven cases requiring police attention, one report of physical discomfort, and one request for psychological counselling services. The police cases primarily concerned suspected property loss, involving items such as watches, jewellery, cash and gold. Officers were immediately deployed to assist with searches, successfully recovering lost property in five cases. The remaining two cases are under further investigation. The Government noted that over 1,000 personnel are deployed daily to support residents returning to their units. This multi-departmental team includes staff from Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department and the Housing Bureau, alongside members of District Services & Community Care Teams. Additionally, under the Government-wide Mobilisation mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau co-ordinated nine departments to form the Government Quick Response Unit to facilitate access arrangements. Civil servants mobilised today were drawn from the Lands Department and the Water Supplies Department.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today inspected a passing-out parade for 34 probationary inspectors and 165 recruit police constables at the Police College. Addressing the ceremony, Mr Lam described the rule of law as the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s success and hailed the Police Force as the first line of defence in its preservation. He emphasised that policing extends beyond mere law enforcement; it is fundamentally about providing public assurance fostering a safer society through professional operations. Mr Lam noted that policing has become increasingly complex, citing challenges such as safeguarding national security, combating technology crimes and managing large-scale events. He stressed that police officers must possess robust legal knowledge and the ability to make sound decisions in dynamic environments, adding that maintaining such high levels of professionalism is a demanding task. Highlighting that a harmonious society relies on mutual trust between Police and the community, Mr Lam expressed his hope that graduates would discharge their duties with fairness and impartiality. He urged them to safeguard the rule of law while remaining attentive to the needs of the public. In conclusion, Mr Lam called on the graduates to serve the community in the spirit of the Police motto, “Serving Hong Kong with Honour, Duty and Loyalty”. He encouraged them to remain steadfast in their contributions to national security and to ensuring the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its sixth day today, with the reopening of five middle-zone floors at Wang Cheong House and 11 high-zone floors at Wang Yan House. Through the “one social worker per household” service, 459 people from 124 households returned to their units, exceeding the 444 individuals from 123 households who had initially registered. The Government said the access arrangements as orderly. Residents spent an average of two hours and 33 minutes entering and leaving the buildings. The shortest stay recorded was 21 minutes, while the longest was four hours and eight minutes. In terms of duration, approximately 65% of residents remained in the buildings for less than three hours, while 27% stayed for less than two hours. About 4% of residents concluded their visits in under an hour. Regarding resident movement, 125 individuals from 54 households made multiple trips to and from their units. Specifically, 83 people from 30 households made one additional trip, while 27 people from 15 households made two. A smaller number of residents – 15 people from nine households – made three or four additional trips. The integrated enquiry counter handled 10 requests for assistance today, including nine cases requiring police attention and one involving a resident who felt physically unwell. The police assistance cases primarily concerned suspected property loss, involving items such as watches, jewellery, cash and gold. Officers were immediately deployed to assist with searches, successfully recovering lost property in six of the cases. In the remaining three cases, the units involved were severely damaged; following investigations, residents believed their property may have been destroyed by fire. The Government noted that over 1,000 personnel are deployed daily to support residents returning to their units. The multi-departmental team includes staff from Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department and the Housing Bureau, alongside members of District Services & Community Care Teams. Additionally, under the Government-wide Mobilisation mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau co-ordinated nine departments to form the Government Quick Response Unit to facilitate the access arrangements. Civil servants mobilised today were drawn from the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department and the Leisure & Cultural Services Department.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, on the last day of his visit to Beijing today, called on the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) and visited the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to explore development opportunities for Hong Kong’s legal services. In the morning, Mr Lam met SPP Prosecutor-General Ying Yong. They exchanged views on arranging training and exchanges on foreign-related legal issues and the common law system for Mainland prosecutors, as well as co-organising capacity-building programmes. Mr Lam also thanked the SPP for supporting Hong Kong in hosting the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference last year. Mr Lam then met AIIB President Zou Jiayi to learn about the progress of the AIIB’s office establishment in Hong Kong, explore opportunities for collaboration between the AIIB and Hong Kong’s legal sector, and for further choosing Hong Kong’s legal services. Having concluded his visit to Beijing, the legal chief returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.