About IMI.
The International Mediation Institute (IMI) is a Hague-based non-profit public interest initiative to drive transparency and high competency standards into mediation practice, worldwide. IMI was established in 2007 to set out internationally-applicable quality standards for mediators and an international mediator credentialing scheme. IMI continues to work with mediator credentialing institutions around the world to ensure and elevate quality in the field.
IMI transcends local jurisdictions to develop global, professional standards for mediators and advocates involved in collaborative dispute resolution and negotiation. IMI convenes stakeholders, promotes understanding of mediation, and disseminates skills. IMI is not a service provider.
“Any occupation wishing to exercise authority must find a technical basis for it, assert an exclusive jurisdiction, link both skill and jurisdiction to standards of training, and convince the public that its services are uniquely trustworthy and tied to a set of professional norms.”
What is the Vision and Mission of IMI?
Vision
Professional Mediation Worldwide: Promoting Consensus and Access to Justice
Mission
IMI is the only organisation in the world to adopt an international Vision and Mission for mediation. IMI is a non-profit charity registered in The Hague, supported practically and financially by corporate users and by a group comprising the main international ADR service providers. IMI aims to address the needs of all stakeholders, starting with users—i.e. disputants. This requires also understanding the interests of the other players in the dispute resolution field—mediators, conciliators, law firms and others that advise users, adjudicators such as judges and arbitrators, service-providing organisations, trainers and educators, and policy-makers. IMI does not compete with any other body because it does not sell any product and provides no billable services. The organisation is funded entirely by donations (see ‘Funding‘ and ‘Charity Status‘).
Read more about our vision and mission.
What are the Benefits of International Credentialing?
The adoption of common international standards in mediation means users can rely on objective and proven quality standards and assessment criteria to make an informed decision on choosing a mediator, rather than relying on word-of-mouth, hearsay, directory listings, self-proclamations by mediators, or other notoriously unreliable methods. It means greater confidence in suggesting mediation to another party (or agreeing to a proposal), and that making a suitable choice between mediators is made much easier. Ultimately it means lower costs and risks, and less time focusing on process aspects—leaving more opportunity to manage the conflict itself.
IMI standards improve prospects for organisations qualifying for QAP status. Mediators accredited via these QAPs will be able to deliver better results for users, in turn building the reputation of both those mediators and their Qualifying organisation. Additionally, by improving access to quality mediators, mediation becomes more trusted and widely used, translating into more business for mediators and service providers. The IMI ‘find a mediator’ tool extends the reach of mediators to a wider constituency of users.
IMI standards make it easier for law firms and other professional advisers to suggest mediation as a viable tool for their clients. Sustainable solutions reached through mediation help legal advisers to be perceived as solution providers who strive for the best and fastest outcome to a conflict (in terms of risk, quality of result, reputation, relationships, costs, and time). Legal counsel accredited as IMI Certified Mediation Advocates distinguish themselves from their competitors, leading to repeat business as a representative acting in the best interests of their client.
When a profession is properly self-regulated, the regulator can focus on protecting users. In the case of mediation, this includes enshrining confidentiality and privilege in law, supporting and implementing ethics considerations, encouraging mediation in court process and the enforceability of settlements. This enables a balance to be struck between the responsibility of the profession to self-regulate efficiently and the role of the regulator in protecting the interests of users.
Who are IMI?
IMI consists of an internal operational team, guided by a Board of Directors and the input of independent bodies of mediation and ADR experts. It is associated with supporting and implementing organisations.
The IMI Board of Directors sets the overall direction of the IMI public service activities and ensures efficient operation and appropriate financial control. The Board also has an important responsibility to ensure that IMI is funded to meet its goals and properly staffed. All members of the IMI Board serve in a pro bono capacity.
The IMI Advisory Council comprises several of the world’s most prominent proponents of ADR and negotiation. The Advisory Council has a review, advisory and enabling function that helps guide IMI in its mission.
IMI Operations are led by the IMI Team, consisting of the Executive Director who ensures day-to-day management and operations, the Head of Program Quality and Appraisal, operations assistants and a team of volunteer interns.
Are you interested in joining the IMI Operations Team? Explore volunteering opportunities.
IMI Committees are established by agreement between the IAC (and former ISC) and IMI Board, following the identification of a need to develop standards in a particular area of mediation. Members are drawn from experts and thought leaders in that field, largely via referral and in response to calls for experts.
Read more about IMI’s Committees:
- The Independent Advisory Committee is a small group of independent international experts that provide input into IMI products. They are appointed via a consultation process involving the IMI Board and existing IAC members, and drawing from IMI’s network of known experts. The original members were assembled via a consultation process between the IMI Board, IMI Team, and out-going Co-Chairs of the Independent Standards Commission, with a view to ensuring diversity and independence.
- The Appraisal Committee is a group of experts who have typically been involved in the development of IMI standards and criteria, and who now assess applications to become Qualifying Assessment Programs or Certified Mediator Training Programs against those standards
- The Mediation Public Policy Committee was established to promote the integration of mediation into public policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks, and governmental organizational practices on a global scale. Mediation is a negotiation facilitated by a trusted neutral person and is often a faster, cheaper, and better way of resolving disputes.
- The Ethics Committee and the Board Subcommittee on the IMI Draft Code of Conduct were established to review and, as appropriate, revise IMI’s Code of Professional Conduct, as well as to develop capabilities to respond to ethical queries from IMI Certified and Qualified Mediators, issue ethical guidance, and publish ethical opinions for the benefit of mediators and mediation users.
Taskforces establish the criteria and standards for IMI Certification. Global professional standards exist when high practice standards are developed, tested, and implemented consistently across international boundaries by recognised, professional experts. IMI’s standards for Mediators were developed by an Independent Standards Commission (ISC), a 70+ strong body of Mediators, Users, Judiciary, Providers, Trainers, and Educators from 27 countries. Other standards—such as those for Investor-State mediation, or for Online Dispute Resolution, were likewise created by international teams of experts.
Read more about IMI’s Task Forces on:
What Initiatives is IMI Involved in?
Competent mediation empowers parties, promoting better, less adversarial access to justice. The international standards established by IMI add guarantees of quality and transparency, facilitating credible, and ultimately more satisfactory, outcomes for those who desire it most—conflict parties themselves.
IMI is changing the landscape in the world of dispute resolution through the establishment of mediation standards and via initiatives such as its worldwide ‘Global Pound Conference‘ series. Mediation training materials are also being made available to learners, trainers and educators worldwide.
Explore our Knowledge Base to learn more about IMI’s initiatives and gather practical guidance, regulatory and legislative information, and sector-specific insights about mediation.
“IMI has taken the first step in bringing conflict resolution into the 21st century, by inviting us and the cultures and nations we represent to come together and learn from each other. Only in this way can we hope to overcome the obstacles we have created through conflict.”