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Boutros Boutros‐Ghali, then Secretary‐General of the United Nations, commented on his experience as a mediator in international conflicts: “If your mediation succeeds, you must disappear because the [conflicting] States will say that they have been able to solve their problems alone; and if your mediation fails, you must agree in advance to serve as a scapegoat. I am used to it. I have done this all my life …” (Boutros‐Ghali 1995).

There are many areas where ad hoc mediators intervene, on a private basis, on behalf of a principal or within the framework of mediation centers, from global issues to the most modest disputes (Bensimon and Lempereur 2007).

 International relations: During a political crisis or armed conflict, a special envoy is appointed by the United Nations, or a regional organization (African Union, Arab League, European Union) in order to promote reconciliation (Mitchell and Webb 1988; Faget 2010; Colson and Lempereur 2011).

 Relations between companies: Via independent and specialized mediators, or through corporate mediation centers (Salzer, Fefeu, and Saubesty 2013).

 Industrial relations and labor disputes, or interpersonal conflicts between fellow employees (Colson, Elgoibar, and Marchi 2015; Euwema 2019).

 Between the police and the community: In the United States, for example, a number of police departments have partnered with mediation organizations to offer this service and improve the relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities within which they live and work (Walker, Archbold, and Herbst 2002). Research also investigates the role of mediation in police work (Cooper 2003).

 Between neighbors: Small conflicts can be mediated thanks to local mediation associations and to strengthen local democracy (Faget 2010; Susskind and Lempereur 2017).

 At school: School mediators (adults or students trained for this purpose; Cardinet 1997).

 Within the family: Family mediators (Parkinson 2014).

These official, but ad hoc, mediators are generally experienced people, recognized for their wisdom or impartiality, or accepted as such and trained in mediation. They are sometimes retired professionals (Lempereur 1998b) or freelance consultants. Another approach is to involve several mediators – the co‐mediation model – as illustrated in the following example.