Every civilisation has invented someone to stand between. The forms differ; the idea does not.
- Village councils and elders: in India the panchayat, in many African societies councils grounded in the idea of Ubuntu, in the Arab world the sulha, in Afghanistan and Pakistan the jirga.
- Merchant courts and trade fairs: medieval traders created their own neutral forums to settle disputes quickly across borders.
- 1809: Sweden establishes the parliamentary Ombudsman, a model now found worldwide.
- 1958: the New York Convention makes arbitral awards enforceable across borders; it now has 172 contracting states.
- 20th century: modern mediation grows in labour relations, families, communities and commerce.
- 2019–2020: the Singapore Convention on Mediation is signed and enters into force, giving international mediated settlements a route to enforcement.
172
Contracting states to the New York Convention on foreign arbitral awards (1958).New York Convention Guide · 2023 ↗
24
States party to the Singapore Convention on Mediation (60 signatories), in force since 12 September 2020.UNCITRAL status table · 2026 ↗
What is new is not the Neutral. What is new is the chance to build a global profession and institution around one of humanity’s oldest ideas.
From custom to profession
For most of history, neutrality depended on personal reputation in a small community. In a global society, reputation alone cannot travel far enough. People need standards that are written down, certification that is verified, and a Register anyone can check. That is the institution TheNeutralsORG™ exists to build.
TheNeutralsORG™ editorial · Essay 10 · Figures checked October 2026 · Sources & method