Measure whether the infrastructure for neutrality exists. Never rank the people.

The Neutrals Index will describe, country by country, how well a society is equipped for neutrality, across five dimensions.

§ 01Five dimensions

What the Index will measure.

Recognition

Mediation and arbitration laws; Singapore and New York Convention status; legal effect of evaluation and determination.

Access

Availability, cost, language and geographic reach of Neutral services; public and community schemes.

Standards

Professional standards, certification, disclosure rules, complaints and discipline.

Use

Court-connected referral, public procurement clauses, corporate dispute systems, Ombuds coverage.

Awareness

Public knowledge of and trust in Neutral routes, measured by survey.

§ 02Principles

Five rules we will not break.

Rules

Never rank individual practitioners
Publish no country score before a baseline exists
Fix definitions before comparing countries
Show population, source and date on every indicator
State limits beside results, not in an appendix

Status

Indicators in design

The first edition sets the data dictionary and baseline. Country comparison starts with the second edition. Research partners are welcome.

§ 03Read with care

Scale of the problem, not proof of a solution.

These figures describe the scale of conflict, distrust or unmet justice need. They are not evidence of the effect of Neutral Evaluation, or of TheNeutralsORG™. Outcome evidence will come from studies of actual neutral interventions, which the Research programme will publish with population, method and limits. See Sources & method.