The first mediation center opened in Trinidad and Tobago in 1996. It was an initiative of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, whose members had seen mediation used in North America and England as a means of settling commercial disputes quickly and more cost-effectively than through litigation.

Since then, through a combination of court rules, legislation and projects undertaken by both the executive and judicial branches of government, ADR in general and, mediation in particular, has slowly begun to take hold as a viable means of dispute resolution for a variety of issues.
The continued expansion of ADR is crucial for increasing access to justice and civility amongst different groups in Trinidad and Tobago, a developing island nation facing environmental and financial threats heightened by globalization.