On 22 November 2018, several members of the Dutch International Child Abduction Lawyers (DIAL) attended a seminar at the Dutch Ambassador’s residence in Madrid. Wendy van der Stroom-Willemsen (chair of our association) joined the panel discussion on behalf of DIAL, together with DIAL board members Catelijne Boshouwers and Titia Coppes. Fellow panel members were Christopher Hames (chair CALA UK), Paola Moreschini (chair ICALI, Italy) Hetty Boone (judge international child abduction section
District Court The Hague), Luis Aurelio Gonzalez (judge in Madrid) and Judith Uitermark (criminal judge District Court The Hague).

The following matters were the subject of the presentations and the subsequent panel discussion:

• What is meant by (cross border) mediation?
• To what extent is it desirable for mediation to be part of international child abduction cases?
• To what extent is this implemented in cross border child abduction litigation?
• In what way is cross border mediation implemented in these cases?
• We also discussed the do’s and don’ts and the differences and similarities for various countries.

It was a very interesting meeting and a nice gathering. On top of that, it was an excellent opportunity to enjoy the Prado, Thyssen Bornemisza and Reina Sofia museums, the Christmas decorations in town and the delicious Spanish food.

All-in-all a successful and enjoyable trip!