Mediation Week 2016, organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ), will start tomorrow (May 7) to further promote the healthy development of mediation in Hong Kong and the use of mediation services in various sectors including the education, medical, commercial, community and intellectual property sectors.

Under the theme "Mediate First - Advance with the Times", the week-long Mediation Week 2016 will stage a wide range of activities including a conference, seminars for different sectors and a carnival. Members of the public are most welcome to participate.

One of the notable events of the week is the Mediation Carnival, to be held on May 8 at Lok Fu Plaza, Kowloon. Through talks, live demonstrations of mediation sessions and an exhibition, the carnival aims to foster a better understanding of mediation, including diverse mediation services such as family mediation and building management mediation, as well as to develop a stronger mediation culture among the public. Game booths and free mediation consultation services will be featured at the carnival.

The week will also feature the Mediation Conference 2016 to be held on May 13, with leading international and local experts and practitioners sharing their views and experiences on the latest global developments of mediation. The conference will also explore the forces that will shape the future of mediation development and how the choice of suitable mediation tools and techniques may assist in achieving the intended results.

In addition, various seminars for specific sectors will also be organised during Mediation Week 2016, which are:

* Seminar on "Use of Mediation in Schools to Build a More Harmonious Environment"

* Seminar on "Medical Mediation Scheme: A Feasibility Discussion"

* Seminar on "Community Mediation for Ethnic Minorities and New Immigrants"

* Seminar on "Assessing the Suitability of Evaluative Mediation to Resolve IP Disputes"

* Seminar on "The Beauty of Sector-specific Mediation - An Introduction to Sector-specific Mediation Schemes"

* Seminar on "Resolving Commercial Cross-Border Disputes with Mediation"

The co-organisers of the Mediation Week 2016 include the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, the Hong Kong Institute of Mediation, the Hong Kong Mediation Centre, the Hong Kong Society for Healthcare Mediation, the New Home Association, the Community Mediation Services Association, the Intellectual Property Department, the Hong Kong Mediation Council and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

For more details of the activities of the Mediation Week 2016, please refer to the annex or visit the following website. Except for the carnival, pre-registration is required for all other events on a first-come, first-served basis. For enquiries, please contact the Mediation Team of the DoJ at 3918 4430.

Ends/Friday, May 06, 2016

Annex