Hong Kong officials on Monday called upon the newly formed Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Mediator Panel to strive to advance the integration of the Bay Area and bolster the region’s appeal as an international mediation hub.

Unveiled in December, the tripartite Greater Bay Area Mediator Panel 2024 consists of 146 professionals – including 48 residing in Hong Kong, 49 in Macao and others in various GBA cities in Guangdong province. They are endorsed by the three jurisdictions to provide mediation services in the 11-city cluster.

Speaking at the accreditation ceremony for Hong Kong members of the panel on Monday, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said the establishment of a mediation platform and other legal infrastructure in the Greater Bay Area is a crucial component in the region's development.

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Lam noted that the unified mediation rules and the release of a mediator list by the three jurisdictions within the Greater Bay Area will help establish mediation standards, laying a solid institutional foundation for mediation in the region. Lam described the mediation platform as a "bridge" connecting the three regions, creating high ground for rule convergence and fostering the Greater Bay Area as a preferred destination for resolving international commercial disputes.

The panel also exemplifies how the governments of the three areas have turned institutional differences into strengths.

The accreditations signify recognition of the mediators' professional competence, as well as their contributions to advancing the rule of law and dispute resolution in the area, he said.

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He described the accreditations as both a milestone and a mission, calling on mediators to further contribute their efforts to the Greater Bay Area in their future endeavors.

During the ceremony, Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan highlighted the successful mediation of the first commercial dispute involving mediation institutions from Hong Kong and Macao. After the case entered pre-litigation mediation, the Hong Kong Mediation Council Committee was appointed by the Shenzhen Qianhai Cooperation Zone People's Court.

Cheung said he hopes that all mediators will continue to showcase their professional skills, contribute to the rule of law in the Greater Bay Area, and elevate Hong Kong's mediation services as a hallmark of distinction.

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The panel, officially unveiled on Dec 30, is mandated to advance mediation in the area and to bolster its diverse dispute resolution framework. The initiative aligns with the Action Plan on the Construction of Rule of Law in the Greater Bay Area, as outlined by the DoJ in April 2024. Additionally, the plan includes proposals for establishing the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy to attract foreign legal talent to the Greater Bay Area and for creating a platform for Greater Bay Area lawyers to enhance their professional growth systematically.