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U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell was chosen by President Clinton as the first Special Envoy for Northern Ireland in 1995. At the same time as his appointment, he led the Mitchell Commission, which established principles on non-violence adhered to by all parties in the Northern Ireland peace process. Of primary importance was the decommissioning of IRA weapons; many felt that until the weapons were turned in and a ceasefire declared, Sinn Fein should not be allowed entry to the All-Party Talks, and thus the peace process could not move forward. The Mitchell Report, which detailed the commission's findings and is included in this folder, was issued in January 1996. Mitchell would go on to chair the All-Party Talks which eventually led to the creation of the Belfast Agreement in 1998.