This report about mediation in Germany in order of the German government reports about the effects of the German Mediation Law on the development of mediation and about the education of mediators.

This article discusses the Belgian perspective on the Dutch ‘ZAM/ACB research on possibilities and impediments for commercial mediation’ which was undertaken by the Montaigne Centre of the University of Utrecht. In Belgium bMediation, the Federal Mediation Committee and the Ghent University periodically monitor the practice of mediation in Belgium with the instrument of the 'Bemiddelingsbarometer'. It turns out that parties and their advisers in both Belgium and the Netherlands still prefer a traditional judicial approach instead of mediation, mostly because of a lack of information.

The two years FOMENTO project ‘Fostering Mediation in cross-border civil and succession matters’ aims to contribute to conflict prevention in cross-border succession matters. To reach a deeper understanding and impulses for a correct implementation of Directive 2008/52/EC (Mediation Directive) and of Regulation (EU) No. 650/2012 (Succession Regulation) the effects of both regulations have been analyzed in a research study. To this end, country reports about the implementation of the Succession Regulation and the Mediation Directive in six European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden) have been assembled and 105 expert interviews with lawyers, notaries, judges and mediators have been conducted and analyzed.
This article gives a general overview about the outcomes of the research study and focuses on the analysis of the expert interviews. The experts gave answers about the concrete advantages, challenges and suggestions for improving mediation in cross-border succession conflicts and the effects of the European Succession Regulation.

The report ‘ZAM/ACB research on possibilities and impediments for commercial mediation’ of the Utrecht Montaigne Centre represents the most important results for the three target groups (lawyers, firms, and judges), with an accent on how users of commercial mediation in the Netherlands think about the potential of mediation.

This research aims to contribute to the development of an adequate handling of the complex, conflictual family situation that occurs during a parental abduction. The following research question is answered: to what extent can the methods of conflict resolution – in the Belgian context – be optimized so that the interests of the child are guaranteed, in the light of the theoretical insights provided by Glasl’s conflict theory? Attention is paid to the limited effectiveness of legal procedures on the one hand and the mediation on the other. The method of de-escalation, developed by Glasl, offers a useful diagnostic tool for the conflict counsellor. In addition, the metaphor of the ladder he uses is extremely valuable as a tool for gaining insight into the mechanisms of conflict-escalation. A clear theoretical framework for the judiciary in the interpretation of an escalated conflict can lead to a better understanding of the possibilities and limits of cooperation between ex-partners, which benefits the best interests of the child.

The hospital sector is not only confronted with the challenges of technical and digital medicine (AI), but also with the expectations of increasingly more talkative patients and their relatives. Luc Van Bauwel introduces you to and testifies about the way in which the ombudsman service of an important hospital group in Antwerp evolved from mere complaint handling as an ombudsservice on the basis of principles of mediation to anchoring the ideas in the liars of management, doctors and other employees; he gives an overview of how the professional ombudsman organized his self and how the surrounding other stakeholders perceived this relatively new ‘ombudsman’ service, which was established by law; how patients have experienced this form of conflict management in the past 15 years, which has been monitored inside the care institution twice in the last 15 years; in the end, he testifies how the acquired/gained trust has grown, as a result of which he now participates on board level in an active role from the very beginning of developing and implementing changes, in the ever-present processes of change, in particular aimed at the doctors associated with the organization.

The Family Justice Centers are an international model where victims of domestic violence and child abuse can find all help needed under one roof. The FJCs are a collaboration of police, justice, welfare, help centers and authorities. The main target is empowering survivors of violence.
The development of the FJC-model is situated in an evolution of the approach of these forms of violence, starting with the recognition of violence against women and child abuse towards a multidisciplinary and collaborative model starting from the needs of survivors of violence. The FJC-model is explained from a field worker point of view and further developments and expected evolutions are mentioned.

On 25 June 2018 the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) finalised two instruments on international commercial settlement agreements resulting from mediation.
This article presents an insider’s view of this process, from the inception of the project to its completion in 2018. It will present the different stages of this process, from the discussions on the proposal to the actual discussions and negotiations and their different phases, including the agreed main features of the two instruments.

The ADR Act of 18 June 2018 provides for an insertion into the ‘Gerechtelijk Wetboek’ (Judicial Code), entitled ‘Collaboratieve onderhandelingen’ (Collaborative Negotiations), which came into force on 1 January 2019.

On 20 December 2018, the Commission of UNCITRAL adopted the Model Law on International Commercial Mediation and International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, 2018 (amending the Uncitral Model Law on International Commercial Conciliation, 2002). On 20 December 2018 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the ‘United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation’. Herman Verbist provides an overview of the Convention and the amended Model Law. This contribution ends with the complete Convention in Annex.

Following a retrospective of the road towards the Convention, incorporating some Singaporean inside views, the authors provide a detailed analysis of the envisaged grounds for refusal of mediated settlements. The authors also highlight various issues around the very concept, and proof, of mediation. These issues are fundamental, as only settlements ensuing from mediation are covered. Another significant aspect is the absence of any provisions pertaining to the status of agreements to mediate, the contract situated at the entry side of mediation.

The Parenting examination (in Dutch: ouderschapsonderzoek) is a method that is used in high-conflict divorces in the Netherlands since 2008, whereby the court appoints a forensic expert who uses mediation and coaching techniques to support the parents to find a solution for their dispute. When parents fail to reach agreement, the forensic expert reports to the judge who can use this information to make a decision. This article discusses the results of two studies that have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Parenting examination in practice.

More than sixty years after the adoption of the New York Convention, UNCITRAL finalised at its annual session, in July 2018, an instrument akin to the New York Convention in the area of mediation: the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (‘the Singapore Convention on Mediation’ or ‘the Convention’), which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 2018. In addition, UNCITRAL adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Mediation and International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, (2018, amending the Model Law on International Commercial Conciliation (2002); ‘the revised Model Law’).
This contribution gives an overview of these two texts and their drafting process, starting with an overview of the works done by UNCITRAL over the past decades in the field of international mediation.