General Secretariat

Jean Ayoub, Secretary General of the ISS has been invited by the Russian Ministry of Justice  and the Scientific Center for mediation and law to the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, the largest legal event in Russia, Eastern Europe and CIS region. This exceptional platform for the highest level discussion involved around 1'500 participants including politicians, lawyers, businessmen and scholars around the globe.

"ISS has a unique role in practically supporting state's responsibility in promoting mediation" said Mr. Ayoub during the panel discussion on The Possibilities of Mediation in Family Relations and in Protecting the Interests and Rights of Children. The Secretary General also informed the participants that the Handbook on International Family Mediation, which aims to inform families of the benefits they could access by choosing mediation, in particular for the complex and delicate cases of international parental child abduction is being published in English and French and will be distributed throughout the world.

Overall, this forum gave better visibility on the ISS global mission in supporting families and children facing international challenges in this region of the world.