Don’t forget to register for the iCare2 final conference: 

“Advancing International Family Mediation in Europe: Evidence, Practice and Policy Development” 

Co-organised by Missing Children Europe and Defence for Children International Italy, and hosted by the Northern Ireland Executive Office.  

When? 18 November 2026 from 9:30 to 17:15 

Where? Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels 

This project and its one-day final event is held in partnership with the Law and Internet Foundation (Bulgaria), Droit d’Enfance – ISS France, and ITAKA (Poland), as well as the University of Genoa, the Jagiellonian University of Kraków, and the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The conference will bring together key stakeholders, including representatives of Central Authorities, legal practitioners, family mediators, academics, organisations working on cross-border family disputes, and European policymakers. 

The conference will create a space for meaningful dialogue on how mediation, in the best interests of the child, can be more effectively integrated into national and European frameworks. The programme will explore several topics including: 

• Project achievements and recommendations, including insight from the pre-mediation desks in Bulgaria, France, Poland and Italy 

• Judicial and practitioner perspectives from central authorities on the Brussels IIb Regulation and the role of mediation 

• European policy perspectives on strengthening mediation and children’s rights 

• Bringing Research and Practice Together to Shape Future Priorities 

Register and mark your calendar! 

You can find the conference agenda below.  

With a limit of 40 in-person spots available on a first-come, first-served basis, secure your place at the iCare Final Conference in Brussels now.