International Mediation Institute (IMI)

The International Mediation Institute is a public interest, non-profit foundation (stichting) established in April 2007 in The Hague, The Netherlands.

IMI is the only organisation in the world to adopt an international Vision and Mission for mediation, transcending 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 for parties, counsel and mediators.

IMI continues to work with mediator credentialling institutions around the world to establish an international certification for experienced professional mediators. Through these initiatives IMI offers a trust mark of high-quality mediators and mediation training, not by requiring uniform standards, but through harmonising mechanisms, such as mediator peer and client review, and a code of professional conduct for mediators based on the overarching principles of transparency, trust, competence, confidentiality and impartiality.

Rather than unify regulatory instruments, IMI aims to offer a framework for diverse mediator certification requirements in different countries and in public and private sector service-provider organisations around the world. IMI consults widely with mediators, mediation users, mediator credentialling bodies, mediation service providers, government representatives and others with an interest in the development of an internationally recognised mediation profession.

The core of the minimum standards for training that IMI has set have been accepted by the European Commission for Efficiency of Justice – “CEPEJ“ as the minimum European standard.