Context:
China launches International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed)
International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed):
- China, along with 33 other nations, has signed the Convention on the Establishment of IOMed
- Headquartered in Hong Kong.
- Purpose- Aimed at peaceful settlement of international disputes through mediation.
- First intergovernmental organization solely dedicated to mediation.
- Legal Framework – Based on Article 33 of the UN Charter, which advocates peaceful dispute resolution via:
- Negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, or other peaceful means.
- Complements existing international dispute resolution mechanisms.
Existing International Dispute Settlement Organizations:
- International Court of Justice (ICJ) –
- Established: 1945 under the UN Charter.
- Location: Peace Palace, Hague, Netherlands.
- Role: Settles legal disputes between States and provides advisory opinions to UN organs.
- Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) –
- Established: 1899 for arbitration and other dispute resolution methods.
- First permanent intergovernmental organization for arbitration.
- Headquarters: Peace Palace, Hague, Netherlands.
Source: BS
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) has a ‘Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.
2. The UNCAC is the ever-first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument.
3. A highlight of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is the inclusion of a specific chapter aimed at returning assets to their rightful owners from whom they had been taken illicitly.
4. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated by its member states to assist in the implementation of both UNCAC AND UNTOC.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2019 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
The protocol against the smuggling of Migrants by land, sea and air comes under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and not UNCAC. United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) includes “Returning Assets to their rightful owners from whom they have been taken illicitly”.