The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, represented Timor-Leste at the signing ceremony for the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), which took place on May 30^th, 2025, in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong in the People’s Republic of China. Approximately 400 high-level representatives from 85 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, as well as nearly 20 international organisations, attended the event. A total of 33 countries, including Timor-Leste, signed the Convention, thus becoming founding members of the new organisation. 

The new intergovernmental organisation, with its secretariat based in Hong Kong, aims to promote mediation as a peaceful mechanism for resolving international disputes and to contribute to strengthening global governance, in accordance with the principles and purposes outlined in the United Nations Charter. This new entity will focus on fostering dialogue, peaceful settlements, and consultation as the preferred methods for resolving disputes between states. IOMed will thus complement other international dispute resolution mechanisms, such as judicial litigation and arbitration, while establishing synergies. 

During the ceremony, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi stated that the establishment of the IOMed “represents an innovative step in international law and constitutes an important milestone in the history of international relations,” and that it “aims to fill an institutional gap in international mediation and constitutes an important public good in promoting the rule of law, contributing to better global governance.” 

The head of Chinese diplomacy also emphasised “the importance of promoting reconciliation, cooperation and harmony, fostering a culture of mediation and raising awareness of its value, establishing international mediation rules and mechanisms based on autonomy, flexibility, pragmatism and high efficiency.”