On 2 October 2026, the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at WIPO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation in international mediation. Prof. Teresa Cheng, Secretary-General of IOMed, and Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of WIPO, signed the MoU.
IOMed is the world’s first treaty-based intergovernmental organization dedicated exclusively to promoting the use of mediation in settling international disputes. It provides a platform for State-to-State disputes, investor-State disputes, and international commercial disputes submitted by mutual consent. IOMed is designed to complement existing dispute settlement mechanisms as a new public good for the international community.
Under the MoU, the two organizations may cooperate in areas including institutional exchanges; case-specific cooperation, including engagement of qualified neutrals or mediators from each other’s rosters as appropriate; outreach and promotion; and training and capacity building, including through the WIPO Academy.
Both organizations intend to maintain close coordination to implement cooperation under the MoU and deepen their institutional partnership.