Mediate First Pledge Event Promotes Mediation as Key Dispute Resolution Tool in Hong Kong

"Mediate First" Pledge Event 2025 held today

The biennial "Mediate First" Pledge Event organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ) was held today (May 9). Under the theme "Mediate First: With Great Dialogue Comes Great Understanding", the event aims to encourage the community to first explore the use of mediation as an effective, convenient and efficient tool for dispute resolution. The event attracted around 900 participants from different sectors.

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said that mediation is the future of dispute resolution and Hong Kong is the Capital of Mediation. In addition to embracing the Chinese cultural tradition of valuing harmony, Hong Kong also has a mature development in the field of mediation. Whether at the international or local level, Hong Kong's mediation services are the natural choice for parties who wish to first use mediation to resolve disputes. Hong Kong will continue to promote mediation as the first step in dispute resolution and connect local, regional and global parties, thereby fully demonstrating the vibrancy and charm of Hong Kong as the Capital of Mediation.

The Mediation Forum, as the first part of the event, started with opening remarks by Mr Lam and the keynote speech by ​the Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan. It was followed by the panel discussion "Collaboration between the Judiciary and the Mediation Advocates - Composing Harmonious Rhythm with Stakeholders", which explored the role of the Judiciary in promoting mediation. Family mediators and mediation institutions from different sectors not only shared their valuable insights and reflections in the field of mediation but also discussed with stakeholders the direction in promoting family mediation in the future.

The afternoon session started with the panel "Dispute Resolution for All: Government and Community Efforts in Mediation", highlighting the collective efforts and commitment of the Government and stakeholders in ways to promote the deepening of mediation culture. Representatives from the Government, a statutory body and a non-profit organisation shared their experiences and success stories related to various mediation schemes in Hong Kong. In addition, students who participated in the peer mediation training also shared vividly how to use mediation to resolve peer disputes and the benefits it brought. The forum was concluded by the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, who delivered the closing remarks.

The Star Logo Award Presentation Ceremony and the signing ceremony of the "Mediate First" Pledge were held right after the forum. The Law Officer (Civil Law) of the DoJ, Ms Christina Cheung, presented awards to 52 pledgees this year for their achievements in promoting and adopting mediation in the course of their business operations.

In the past year, 219 pledgees have signed the Pledge agreeing to first explore the use of mediation to resolve disputes arising in the course of their business dealings and operations, before pursuing other dispute resolution processes or court litigation. More than 1 000 organisations and individuals have signed the Pledge since its launch in 2009, reflecting a wide recognition of first using mediation to resolve disputes across different sectors.

Details on the "Mediate First" Pledge Event 2025 are available on its dedicated website. For more information on mediation, please visit DoJ's Facebook page, LinkedIn and Weibo.

"Mediate First" Pledge Event 2025 held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

"Mediate First" Pledge Event 2025 held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

"Mediate First" Pledge Event 2025 held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

"Mediate First" Pledge Event 2025 held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

"Mediate First" Pledge Event 2025 held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

"Mediate First" Pledge Event 2025 held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government announces updates on follow-up work on Tai Po fire

The three task forces set up by the Government for the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po - the Task Force on Investigation and Regulation, the Task Force on Emergency Support and Fund-Raising, and the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements - are making full efforts to follow up on the support, relief, and investigation work related to the incident. Details are as follows:

Financial and welfare support

---------------------------------

For the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, established by the Government, donations received are about $3.4 billion as of noon today (December 13). With the start-up capital of $300 million from the Government, the fund's total has now reached around $3.7 billion. The fund will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support.

Accommodation support

---------------------------

As of this morning, a total of 1 392 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 3 163 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or units from the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS).

In consideration of the extremely urgent situation of the residents affected by the fire incident, a special arrangement of a full rent exemption has been made earlier by the Housing Bureau to provide accommodation support to those affected residents moving into transitional housing or HKHS projects. In other words, if needed, the affected residents can stay for a longer period of time. The Government will continue to support the affected residents in terms of accommodation, and the residents in need do not have to worry about the relevant rental expenses or the duration of stay.

In addition, staff from the operating organisations of transitional housing and HKHS, as well as volunteers have been working around the clock to furnish the units with essential supplies. Taking Eminence Tower in Hung Shui Kiu as an example, each unit is equipped, upon move-in, with furniture and appliances such as bed frames, mattresses, pillows, cooking stoves and water heaters. Daily necessities including toilet paper, slippers and basic cleaning supplies, etc. are also provided. Such efforts are intended to help the affected residents settle in as quickly as possible.

At the same time, a number of organisations have proactively stationed their staff in some projects to provide residents in need with various forms of support, including free medical and legal consultation services. The Government has also set up service stations in 18 projects where more residents have moved in, providing consultation and support services for residents in need, standing together with them.

Relief supplies and donations

---------------------------------

The supplies donation online platform, established by the Government and the information technology sector, continues to operate, facilitating the registration of supplies donations from organisations and the public. The Government has so far received over 1 800 registrations, of which approximately 30 per cent were submitted by organisations, whereas the others were contributed by the public. The various registered donation items include food and beverages, clothing, daily necessities, bedding, and electrical appliances. The Government is actively assessing residents' actual needs through the relevant policy bureau, government departments, and service organisations for the matching of donated supplies in order to distribute appropriate items in phases to places in need. So far, about 19 600 donation items covering various categories have been distributed to different places. The matching and distribution of supplies will continue.

Regulation and inspection work

----------------------------------

The Housing Department today continued to remove the burnt scaffolding on the external walls of Wang Cheong House, Wang Tai House and Wang Sun House. As the environment at scene is narrow and the scaffolding and the protective nets of individual buildings may be subject to more serious damage, for the sake of safety, the Housing Department will conduct assessments with the Police on the timetable of removing the scaffolding of the remaining four affected buildings. In addition, the Independent Checking Unit of the Housing Bureau has also completed the extraction of concrete core samples from the seven affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court today.

The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced on December 11 a new mechanism for sampling and testing scaffold nets for external walls in Hong Kong. The Buildings Department is preparing for the issuance of a new practice note to registered contractors and will meet with the industry next week. The DEVB is moving ahead in full steam the supporting arrangements to ensure that there are sufficient designated laboratories and a suitable site for off-site sampling work.

Source: AI-found images