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The Department of Justice and the highest level of the current Administration are firmly committed to the further promotion and development of mediation services in Hong Kong, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, said today (March 20).
Mr Yuen was speaking this morning at the opening of the "Mediate First for a Win-Win Solution" Conference, which was jointly organised by the Department of Justice and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council together with various other supporting organisations. Also attending the opening ceremony was the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Geoffrey Ma Tao-li.
Mr Yuen said that through the joint efforts of the Administration, the Judiciary and the other stakeholders, mediation had undergone healthy development in Hong Kong in the past seven years.
The Government's steadfast commitment to further promote and develop mediation services in Hong Kong was expressed in no uncertain terms in the latest Policy Address and Budget Speech, he added.
"To take this commitment forward, we will endeavour to consolidate our efforts in various areas including the provision of an environment and legal infrastructure conducive to mediation, to strengthen efforts in the context of capacity building, to enhance public understanding and interest in the use of mediation, as well as to enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness and international image as a mediation services centre in the Asia Pacific region.
"I am confident that we can continue to have further healthy development of mediation in Hong Kong, so as to complement our efforts in promoting Hong Kong as an international legal and dispute resolution services hub in the Asia Pacific region," Mr Yuen said.
More than 700 local and overseas professionals from the legal and mediation sectors, academics, and representatives of business associations and professional organisations attended the conference this morning.
During the two-day conference, the participants will exchange views and share experience on the global trend and future development of mediation, and the use of mediation to resolve disputes in different sectors will be discussed.
Ends/Thursday, March 20, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:12
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