Official opening of the 10th International Forum “Mediation & Law”. The focus is on the role of mediation and other ADR mechanisms in the modern world, Ukraine’s European integration processes, international cooperation, and best European practices in the field of access to justice.
Muriel Décot, Executive Secretary of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), Council of EuropeTomas Stravinskas, Sector Manager at the EU Delegation to UkraineLuiza Romanadze, Team Leader of the EU Project “CONSENT”, President of the Ukrainian Academy of Mediation

The panel will serve as a reflection on where Ukraine currently stands in the development of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Participants will discuss the key achievements of the past year, the challenges brought by wartime realities, the European integration context, and the next steps for further system development. Representatives of various public authorities will take part in the discussion.
The session will be of interest to mediators, lawyers, judges, representatives of public authorities, international partners, academics, and researchers.
Moderator:Luiza Romanadze, Team Leader of the EU Project “CONSENT”, President of the Ukrainian Academy of Mediation
Speakers:Roman Babiy, Chair of the Subcommittee on the Enforcement of European Court of Human Rights Judgments and Alternative Dispute Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy.Oleksandr Mamaluy, Deputy Head of the Supreme Court.Viktor Dubovyk, Director-General of the Directorate for Legal Policy of the Office of the President of Ukraine.Olga Kildyushkina, Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.Oleksandr Oliynyk, Director of the Directorate for Justice and Criminal Justice of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.Lesia Karnaukh, Acting Head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine.Dmytro Kukhnyuk, Head of the National Mediation and Reconciliation Service.Vira Protsiv, Deputy Head of the Department for the Organisation of Educational Security Services of the National Police of Ukraine.Nina Maya Schrepfer, Deputy Representative of UNHCR in Ukraine.Tuija Brax, Director at the Rule of Law Centre, Helsinki, Finland.

How can courts and mediation interact effectively? During the panel, we will discuss modern models of cooperation, referral mechanisms, court-connected mediation, as well as best European practices and recommendations of the Council of Europe and CEPEJ in this field. Special attention will be given to making access to amicable dispute resolution more practical and effective for people.
The session will be of interest to judges, lawyers, mediators, court staff, and everyone working in the field of justice.
Moderator:Maksym Khodakivskyi, Judge of the Sobornyi District Court of the City of Dnipro, Doctor of Philosophy in Law.
Speakers:Mari Vanhanen, Judge of the District Court of Helsinki, Mediator.Cynthia Jurrius, Director of the Maryland Judiciary's Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO), USA.Dr. Nick White, Program Manager, Research and Evaluation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office, Administrative Office of the Courts, Maryland Judiciary, State of Maryland, USA.Danielle Shalov, ADR Administrator for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.Nataliia Korol, Chief of Staff of the Vinnytsia Court of Appeal, Chair and Co-founder of the NGO "VAPS", Attorney, Mediator, PhD.Liliia Hrabovan, Judge and Court Spokesperson of the Commercial Court of Odesa Region.Agata Gawłowska-Sobusiak, President of the District Court in Brzesko, Poland.

Can fiction help us talk about dialogue, understanding, and conflict?During this panel, we will explore the role of literature and authors in promoting the values of communication, empathy, and peaceful dispute resolution.Together with Tetiana Stus, writer, literary scholar, child psychologist, Head of the Children’s Reading Laboratory at the National Center “Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine”, and founder of BaraBooka, a project supporting children’s reading, we will discuss how stories, characters, and literary images can shape the culture of interaction in society.
This conversation will be of interest to educators, authors, publishers, psychologists, mediators, students, parents, and everyone working with social change through culture and education.
Moderator:Iryna Rudyka, Learning and human capital development specialist, educational program designer, writer and cultural practitioner
Speaker: Tania Stus, Author, psychologist, and founder of the "BaraBooka" children's reading promotion project. Community activist advocating for school literary education reform.

The panel is dedicated to modern approaches to resolving maritime disputes across different jurisdictions worldwide. We will discuss the role of arbitration, mediation, and hybrid models in resolving complex international conflicts in the maritime sector, as well as the advantages of multi-tier clauses and combined dispute resolution mechanisms. Symbolically, the discussion will take place on World Oceans Day.
The session will be of interest to lawyers, arbitrators, mediators, representatives of the maritime industry, international companies, academics, and everyone working with international disputes.
Moderator: Yuriy Sergeyev, Dr. Yuriy Sergeyev, Attorney at Law, PhD in Law, Associate Professor, Head of the UAA Maritime Law Committee Arbitrator, UMAC Managing Partner, Sergeyevs’ Law Office
Speakers: George Lambrou, International Dispute Resolution Specialist, Attorney, Arbitrator, and International Arbitration Counsel.Jonathan Lux is an international Commercial mediator, arbitrator and barrister accredited by the International Mediation Institute and the Civil Mediation CouncilProfessor Andrea Lista, Professor of Maritime and Commercial Law, Director of the Institute of Maritime Law, Legal Counsel and LMAA Supporting MemberMykola Melnykov, Partner at Interlegal international law firm, Deputy Chairman and Arbitrator of the Maritime Arbitration Commission at the Ukrainian CCI. Practices: maritime law and arbitration.Karyna Gorova, Arbitrator of the ICAC at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Partner at Interlegal