Article 1 — Name and Identity

TheNeutrals.ORG™ (the "Organisation") is an independent international institution established for the purpose of promoting and governing the practice of neutral dispute resolution, neutral evaluation, and professional certification for neutral practitioners worldwide.

The Organisation operates under the name TheNeutrals.ORG™ and is the exclusive proprietor of the INDS™, INDS-BF™, INDS-RG™, INDS-SFM™, INDS-SF™, Next-Gen Neutral™, Accredited Neutral™, Fellow of The-Neutrals.ORG™, CPRS™, UNIONE COMMISSION™, and GBI™ methodologies, trademarks, and frameworks.

Article 2 — Mission and Purpose

The mission of TheNeutrals.ORG™ is to build and govern a global community of independently certified neutral practitioners who operate to the highest standards of integrity, competence, and professional conduct — and to make expert neutral services accessible to corporations, institutions, and individuals worldwide.

The Organisation pursues this mission through:

• The Next-Gen Neutral™, Accredited Neutral™, and Fellow of The-Neutrals.ORG™ certification programmes and the global bench of certified neutrals
• The INDS™ methodology and the Independent Neutral Evaluation service
• The CPRS™ corporate prevention and resolution framework
• The Neutrals Academy and professional development programmes
• The World Neutrals Summit and global community events
• The TheNeutrals.ORG™ governance framework and Global Council oversight

Article 3 — Governance Structure

3.1 The Global Council

The TheNeutrals.ORG™ Global Council is the supreme governance body of the Organisation. It comprises independent members drawn from the global legal, ADR, and institutional community. Council members are not employees or shareholders of TheNeutrals.ORG™ and serve in an independent capacity.

The Global Council has authority over: certification policy and standards; conduct investigations and sanctions; governance framework amendments; NEC accreditation decisions; and the appointment of independent auditors.

3.2 Executive Direction

Day-to-day executive direction of TheNeutrals.ORG™ is the responsibility of the Global Director, who is accountable to the Global Council for the operation of the Organisation in accordance with these Bylaws and the Governance Framework.

3.3 The Fellow of The-Neutrals.ORG™ Users Council

The Fellow of The-Neutrals.ORG™ Users Council is an advisory body comprising Fellow of The-Neutrals.ORG™ certified neutrals, corporate users, and institutional representatives. It provides structured feedback on methodology, certification, and governance policy to the Global Council.

Article 4 — Certification

The Organisation awards Next-Gen Neutral™, Accredited Neutral™, or Fellow of The-Neutrals.ORG™ certifications to qualified practitioners who meet the published assessment criteria and formally accept the Code of Ethical Conduct.

Certification is subject to: published eligibility criteria; independent assessment; annual CPD and renewal requirements; compliance with the Code of Ethical Conduct; and the jurisdiction of the Global Council in all conduct matters.

Full certification requirements are set out in the Certification Regulations, which form part of this governance framework.

Article 5 — Amendments

These Bylaws may be amended by a decision of the Global Council, following a minimum 30-day consultation period with the Fellow of The-Neutrals.ORG™ Users Council. Material amendments are published on the TheNeutrals.ORG™ website and communicated to all certified neutrals.

Article 6 — Governing Law

These Bylaws are governed by and construed in accordance with international institutional standards and the jurisdiction agreed between the Organisation and its legal advisors. Any dispute arising from the interpretation of these Bylaws is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Global Council, with appeal to independent arbitration under the ICDT Rules.

For governance enquiries: [email protected]