THURSDAY, MARCH 13
PLENARY 09.00am - 10.30am - Generate trust to promote mediation
Thematic 3: Generate trust to promote mediation
To promote mediation effectively, it is essential to create a climate of trust both between mediators and the parties in conflict, but also among social, economic and institutional players. A comparative approach should therefore be explored: - Measures to raise awareness of mediation so that all the parties involved understand the value of the process (injunction to meet a mediator, communication, promotion, etc.), - Incentives to encourage the use of mediation (suspension of limitation periods, tax measures, sanctions....), - The quality of mediation (training, ethics, choice of mediator), - The issue of confidentiality.
moderator

Christiane FERAL-SCHUHL
Member of the Paris Bar and mediator, Co-founder of FÉRAL, Second Vice-President of the National Mediation Council. She has chaired the Conseil National des Barreaux (2018-2020) and the Paris Bar (2012-2013). Co-author, with Michèle Jaudel, of the book ‘La médiation à l'épreuve de la pratique’ (Delmas, 2nd ed. 2025) - France

great witness
Renaud LE BRETON DE VANNOISE
First President of the Court of Appeal of Aix-en-Provence and former Ambassador for amicable settlement - France
speakers

Natalie FRICERO
University professor (Faculty of Law, Côte d'Aur University), specialising in civil procedure and enforcement law as well as amicable dispute resolution (Guide des modes amiables de résolution des différends, ed. Dalloz, 2018). She was a member of the Conseil supérieur de la magistrature (2019-2023). She has been a member of the Conseil national de la médiation (since 2023), and Dean of the Civil Justice Department at the Ecole nationale de la magistrature (since 2021) - France

Nicolas FOURNIER
Vice- President of the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) - United Kingdom

Ivan VEROUGSTRAETE
Honorary President of the Belgian Court of Cassation, Former President of the Benelux Court of Justice, Member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Federal Mediation Committee, Approved mediator, Author of numerous publications on insolvency law, mediation law, European law, African law, intellectual property law, tax law, judicial law and the law of obligations - Belgium
round table 11.00am - 12.30pm - Renewing mediation with families
Thematic 3: Generate trust to promote mediation
The family is a system that needs to be understood in its entirety, a structure of action interacting within and with a complex environment. It is therefore involved in fields that are not strictly family-based, whether in general civil matters (guardianship with the sale of housing, educational assistance, over-indebtedness, etc.), social, commercial and corporate matters (family businesses, joint farming groups, etc.), or health, where issues of life (birth, death, etc.) and vulnerability converge. With mediation, the aim is no longer to deal with one or more disputes, but rather a situation. Seeing wide to see better... mediation with families.
moderator

Laurent DRUGEON
Amicable settlement policy referent ENM, lawyer and mediator - France

great witness
Frédérique AGOSTINI
First President of the Conseil National de la Médiation (CNM), Conseiller à la Cour de cassation - France
speakers

Thomas PRETOT
Director of Mediation France at Clariane and sworn mediator for the Rennes and Paris Courts of Appeal, trainer and co-author, with Jacques Salzer, of Comprendre et être compris pour décider ensemble, published by L'Harmattan - France.

Philippe GAZAGNES
Former administrative magistrate, new national mediator for Clariane France, vice-president of Gemme France and member of the Conseil National de la Médiation (CNM) - France

Violaine BELZILE
Lawyer, family, civil and commercial mediator and accredited arbitrator - Canada

Nathalie BONNAUD-CHOUKROUN
Nathalie Bonnaud has been a partner notary for 18 years, with in-depth expertise in assisting families and managing property disputes. Nathalie Bonnaud trained in mediation around ten years ago, and strengthened this specialisation by obtaining a DU in mediation in 2021. She is President of the Centre de Médiation des Notaires de l'Essonne, and is currently preparing for the Diplôme d'Etat de Médiateur Familial (State Diploma in Family Mediation). Her notarial expertise and mediation skills enable her to offer tailor-made solutions that promote dialogue and understanding - France
round table 11.00am - 12.30pm - Addressing the dehumanization of consumer relationships
Thematic 2: Mediation, a lever for companies to use to overcome crises
Digital technology has taken on a predominant role in relations between consumers and professionals, a communication that consumers often describe as dehumanised. Will mediation be able to help combat this dehumanisation in consumer disputes? Will artificial intelligence support mediation or, on the contrary, be an obstacle to maintaining more human relations?
moderator

Rosina SALDICCO GELLÉ
Former lawyer, Mediator, Trainer and Lecturer at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc, President of the Association of Judicial Mediators of Savoie - MEJUS, In charge of relations with professionals at MCP MEDIATION - France

GRAND TéMOIN
Antonia HÖÖG
First President of the Conseil National de la Médiation (CNM), Conseiller à la Cour de cassation - France
speakers

Marc EL NOUCHI
Chairman of the Commission des infractions fiscales, Chairman of the Commission d'évaluation et de contrôle de la médiation de la consommation, Chairman of the judging panel at the Cour nationale du droit d'asile and member of the Cour administrative financière at the Cour des comptes - France

Johannes SEEL
Mediator, lawyer and member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Mediation Commission in Belgium - Belgium

Jean DEYDIER
Founder of Emmaüs Connect and WeTechCare - France

Francesc MATEU
Director of the SD Forum, Network of Institutional and Territorial Ombudsmen of Catalonia - Spain
round table 11.00am - 12.30pm - Mediation in international institutions
Thematic 5: Reducing tensions in the world, the power of mediation
Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and instability, international mediation plays a key role in restoring dialogue between conflicting parties, preventing the escalation of violence and promoting peaceful solutions that comply with international law. By involving actors such as the United Nations, regional and local organisations and civil society, it promotes inclusive and sustainable solutions. However, its success depends on the willingness of the parties to participate sincerely and on the support of the international community. In a world where international organisations are struggling to make their voices heard in the face of major challenges such as violations of international law and climate, environmental and health crises, what is the real place of international mediation? How can mediation mechanisms be strengthened and firmly integrated into the framework of international law, so that they are not merely symbolic tools but genuine levers for change?
Modérateur

Catherine GINISTY
Expert in digital and crisis communication at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm. Qualified mediator specialising in international and intercultural mediation. Co-founder of the BRIDGE association - Sweden

great witness
Ligia NICTHE-HA RODRIGUEZ
Human Rights Defender for the State of Campeche - Mexico
speakers

Elsa COSTA
International mediator at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - France

Rabih S. SFEIR
Ombudsman of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) - USA

Mariana JESUS GIORGETTI
Coordinator of the Education and Human Rights Group of the Ibero-American Federation of Ombudsman - Director General of the Global Alliance of Local Ombudsman (AGOL) - Argentina
PLENARY 2.00 pm - 3.30 pm - Mediations: access to rights, public space, child protection. Tensions in public services
Thematic 4: Mediations: access to rights, public space, child protection. Tensions in public services
Relations between citizens and public authorities are often marked by misunderstandings, frustrations and disputes. Whether it involves complex procedures, decisions perceived as unfair or excessive delays, these tensions can undermine the trust between users and public institutions. In this context, mediation is a valuable tool for preventing and resolving these conflicts. By encouraging dialogue, active listening and the search for mutually satisfactory solutions, mediation helps to humanise administrative relations and strengthen the bond of trust between citizens and public services. But how can mediation be integrated into interactions with public authorities, and what concrete impact does it have on the quality of public service? This reflection explores the benefits, challenges and means of implementing a mediation approach in this essential area.
moderator

Charles COLLIN
Territorial Mediator for the City and Agglomeration of Bourges since 2016 and Vice-President of the Association des Médiateurs des Collectivités Territoriales (AMCT) - France

great witness
Patrick DE CAROLIS
Mayor of Arles - France
speakers

Francis POLIZZI
First Vice-President of the Montreuil Administrative Court (2018-2024) - France

Gerardo CARBALLO MARTINEZ
Lawyer, mediator, arbitrator and doctor of administrative law, former adviser to the Ombudsman for over twenty years. Expert in administrative mediation, author of over thirty works on the subject, speaker at national and international forums - Spain

Hélène DE KOVACHICH
Former member and Chair of the Tribunal Administratif du Québec (2006-2022), mediator and lawyer - Canada
round table 4.00 pm - 5.30 pm - Institutional mediation, ambassador of dialogue for citizens and the administration
Thematic 4: Mediations: access to rights, public space, child protection. Tensions in public services
Have you had enough of administrative forms that make you want to tear your hair out? Do you dream of a world where the administration and citizens communicate without the need for a decoder? Then look no further than our round table! Find out how superhero mediators, armed with the power of dialogue, are transforming administrative nightmares into a unique experience that will almost make you wish your case had been resolved so quickly. We promise it'll be more fun than queuing at the counter.
moderator

Elsa COSTA
International mediator at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - France

great witness
Jean Louis WALTER
National Mediator France Travail - France
speakers

Laurent BATSCH
Mediator for the Ile-de-France Region - France

Eric FERRAND
Mediator for the City of Paris - France

Anne BARATIN
Ombudswoman for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires - Argentina

Josep ESCARTIN
Ombudsman for the city of Sabadell and President of the Forum of Syndics and Local Defenders of Catalonia - Spain
round table 4.00 pm - 5.30 pm - People with disabilities: mediation to promote reasonable accommodations
Thematic 1: Mediation as a lever in the fight against discrimination and for equality
According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ‘discrimination on the basis of disability includes all forms of discrimination, including denial of reasonable accommodation’. In other words, the refusal to make the necessary and appropriate modification or adjustment, as needed in a particular case, without imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise, on an equal basis with others, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The aim of this round table, based on the experience of institutions responsible for combating discrimination, is to provide an understanding of how the concept of reasonable accommodation can be used in mediation to combat discrimination against people with disabilities.
moderator

Fabienne JEGU
Expert adviser on disability and autonomy to the Human Rights Defender, also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A lawyer specialising in disability law, she is the author of several books and reports, including Employment guide for disabled people and reasonable accommodation (2017/DDD) - France.
speakers

Luc HEIMENDINGER
Head of the Policy and Monitoring Department at Unia - Degree in Psychology and Pedagogy from the Université Libre de Bruxelles - Head of the Policy and Monitoring Department at Unia, the Belgian Interfederal Centre for Equality - coordinates Unia's CRPD Unit, which is also the independent mechanism for Belgium to monitor the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Belgium

Véronique GHESQUIERE
Head of the Policy and Monitoring Department at Unia - Degree in Psychology and Pedagogy from the Université Libre de Bruxelles - Head of the Policy and Monitoring Department at Unia, the Belgian Interfederal Centre for Equality - coordinates Unia's CRPD Unit, which is also the independent mechanism for Belgium to monitor the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Belgium

Philippe-André TESSIER
President of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse du Québec (Commission) since 28 February 2019, Former Vice-President responsible for the Charter mandate since December 2017, Former President of the Société québécoise d'information juridique (SOQUIJ) - Québec
round table 4.00 pm - 5.30 pm - Helping the company overcome the challenges of the environmental crisis
Thematic 2: Mediation, a lever for companies to use to overcome crises
In a world turned upside down by the climate emergency and the environmental crisis, agricultural, industrial and service companies find themselves impacted by major issues. Are the ecological transition and the environmental responsibility of these economic players a source of conflict or opportunity for businesses? How can conflict and/or project mediation support organisations in tackling the many environmental challenges of the 21st century?
moderator

Myriam BACQUE
Mediator and trainer, First Vice-President of the Conseil national de la médiation (CNM), Deputy Director of the Diplôme d'Université en médiation et règlement des conflits de La Rochelle Université de La Rochelle, Managing Director of Médiation 21, Head of the Maison de la communication, mediation and training centre in La Rochelle - France

great witness
Ludovic PESSOT
Project and conflict mediator, consultant and trainer in collective and creative intelligence and teacher at SciencesPo Paris - France
speakers

Marc POUSIN
Eleveur Bio retraité, Fondateur de la Coopérative Volailles Bios de l'Ouest, Membre du réseau CIVAM en tant que référent Installation Transmission des Fermes en Agriculture Pysanne Durable - France

Pierre HENRY
Member of the Bars of Verviers and Liège Specialist in construction law and town planning and environmental law - Belgium

Marc PAPINUTTI
Chairman of the Commission nationale du débat public (CNDP) - France
Maria Victoria METZ
Mediator, expert in out-of-court conflict management and Director of IKOME and Steinbeis Mediations Institut - Germany