The Netherlands Mediation Institute NMI is the national platform for mediation in the Netherlands. NMI is a private organization and operational since 1995.

NMI operates from within a strictly independent position in society. NMI's strictly independent position as a national mediation platform is possibly unique in Europe.

Why an Independent quality assurance of mediation and mediators?

Mediation is an act of intervening in conflicts between persons and/or organizations, by a neutral third party possessing the necessary qualifications: the mediator. A crucial condition for this is trust. For the engendering of trust at least three aspects play a significant role: impartiality, expertise and professionalism. To achieve professionalism a sound infrastructure is required (rules, registration and code of conduct), a complaints procedure plus disciplinary rules, and independent quality assurance. It is the task of the independent NMI to provide these in the Netherlands nationwide. NMI does this through the NMI Quality Assurance System.

The demand for mediation quality and independent quality assurance has, apart from NMI itself and from the Dutch Ministry of Justice, also come from society, for example, the members of the Standing Parliamentary Committee for Justice (quality and supervision), market demand (the potential users of mediation) and the mediator professionals themselves (in particular with a view to further increasing professionalization).

The purpose of the Quality Assurance System developed by NMI is to provide a transparent, objectifiable, dynamic, testable and independent system for mediation and mediator quality assurance nationwide.