A mediator shall disclose to the participants any affiliations with the parties or biases relating to the issues. Procedures Mediators shall describe and affirm to the parties the procedures to be followed in mediation. The mediator and the parties shall agree upon the duties and responsibilities that each is accepting in the mediation process. This may be a written or verbal agreement. Impartiality A mediator is obligated to maintain impartiality toward all participants.
Impartiality means freedom from favoritism and bias in both word, action and appearance.
Impartiality implies a commitment to aid all parties, as opposed to a single individual, in reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement. A mediator has a responsibility to maintain impartiality while raising questions for the parties to consider as to the reality, fairness, equity, and feasibility of proposed options for settlement. A mediator's actual or perceived impartiality may be compromised at any time by social or professional relationships with one of the parties or participants or others affected by the dispute. A mediator should be aware that pre- and post mediation professional or social relationships may compromise a mediator's ability to serve as an impartial third party. Mediators are expected to disclose to the parties any prior relationships that might be perceived as a conflict of interest.