Open Class – “Continue Negotiating or Involve a Third Party?"

As part of the Opening Ceremony of the 15th Edition of the Postgraduate Programme in Negotiation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution, to be held on 19 January 2026 at 4:30 pm, at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Porto, the Open Class entitled “Continue Negotiating or Involve a Third Party? Critical Decisions in Complex Negotiations” will take place. This event will follow a hybrid format, with in-person attendance in Room EAA003 and online participation.

The session will begin with a keynote address by the guest speaker Diego Faleck, lawyer and mediator, founder of Faleck & Associados, who will discuss the key challenges of complex negotiations and the strategic criteria that guide the decision between continuing direct negotiation and involving a third party.

Drawing on his extensive international experience, Diego Faleck will explore the critical factors that influence the success of negotiation processes, examining when and how third-party intervention can constitute a decisive added value in overcoming deadlocks and fostering sustainable solutions.

The opening ceremony will include institutional contributions from Susana Videira, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Justice Policy, Ana Teresa Ribeiro, Professor and member of the Board of the Porto Faculty of Law – Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Agostinho Guedes, Professor at UCP and coordinator of the Postgraduate Programme in Negotiation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution, and Ana Maria Maia Gonçalves, founder of ICFML and coordinator of the same postgraduate programme.

The session will be moderated by Cátia Marques Cebola, Pedagogical Coordinator of ICFML.

This event offers a unique opportunity to examine the core challenges of contemporary negotiation and to deepen, from different institutional and professional perspectives, the criteria underlying strategic decision-making in highly complex contexts.

Online participation is subject to prior registration.

Register Here