Mediation Week 2026, organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ), was officially launched today (May 4) under the theme "Mediate First: An Attempt of Mediation, Harvests Abundant Harmony". The five-day programme comprises seminars on disputes related to schools, sports, the elderly and neighbourhoods, with a view to promoting mediation as a friendly way to amicably resolve disputes and conflicts, and to build a more harmonious community.
 
     The opening of Mediation Week was marked by a School Mediation Seminar with the theme "Capital of Mediation: You are the Future" this morning. In the first session, students trained in peer mediation showcased how mediation builds communication skills and fosters peaceful resolutions, discovering the benefits of peer mediation in creating a harmonious school environment and empowering students to address disputes collaboratively. The second session featured winners from different divisions of the Mediation Essay Competition 2026 sharing their views on mediation, followed by a prize presentation ceremony. This year, for the very first time, the Competition extended beyond Hong Kong, reaching out to students in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to share their stories and thinking about mediation.
 
     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in his closing remarks at the event, encouraged students to flexibly make use of mediation skills and attain win-win solutions in a peaceful and rational manner. He said that young people are the future and hope of society, and that the DoJ is committed to embedding a mediation culture in their hearts. Kicking off with the School Mediation Seminar, this year's Mediation Week aims to promote, starting from schools, the values of diversified solutions and harmonious relationships, Mr Lam added.
 
     With the support of the DoJ and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy as the key sponsors, the Global Mediation Summit, organised by the International Organization for Mediation, will be held as the finale on Friday (May 8) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The summit will bring together leading mediation experts, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world to explore frontier topics such as cross-cultural international mediation, financial and investment dispute mediation, and the development of a global mediation ecosystem, thereby building Hong Kong into a "global capital of mediation".
 
     Fully supported by dispute resolution services organisations, government departments and other relevant organisations, Mediation Week 2026 will also feature the following events this week:
 
May 5
*Sports Mediation Seminar
 
May 6
*Elder Mediation Seminar - Conflict to Care: The Role of Mediation in Elder Disputes
 
May 7
*Building a Leak-Free Future
 
     For more details of Mediation Week 2026, please visit its dedicated website.

Ends/Monday, May 4, 2026
Issued at HKT 16:35

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