In her welcome and opening remarks, Lynne Peyton--a consultant specialising in children's services in Northern Ireland--set the scene for the proceedings of this seminar on marital separation. She confirmed that the escalating extent of marital separation is a worldwide phenomenon and certainly one that represents an increasing challenge for countries throughout Europe. The figures for Malta suggest that for every two new marriages registered, there is one application to separate. Whereas in the 1995 census 5000 Maltese adults described themselves as separated, this number had risen to 13,000 in 2005 and is predicted to treble by 2015 to around 35,000. The purpose of the seminar, hosted by the Maltese Institution for Medical Education, was to draw political and professional attention to the issues and consequences for children when parents separate, and to create an agenda for action to ensure that their needs and rights are addressed more effectively in the future. The impressive panel of local speakers each had a specific interest in the consequence of separation for young people. This article presents excerpts from some of the keynote speeches. (Contains 5 notes.)