Senator Mitchell sets out his roadmap for peace talks.

A report by Jane Loughrey for UTV Live on the report from Senator George Mitchell on the issue of arms decommissioning in the Northern Irish peace process. Reports from the Irish press had accurately surmised the content of the report, the main takeaway of which was that Mitchell was suggesting no pre-conditions from the British government before all-party talks could take place.

Mitchell concluded that it was unreasonable to expect the various paramilitary groups to give up their weapons before talks had begun. Instead, he suggested that the issue of arms and talks could be dealt with in tandem and that any arms ultimately decommissioned should be through an independent body, to avoid any accusations of the use of terms such as 'surrender' or 'victory'.

The report would give John Major much to think about, but the Mitchell Commission urged its implementation as soon as possible and it was embraced by Sinn Fein, the PUP and the UDP as a basis for moving the process forward.

Starting in 1993, UTV Live took over as Ulster Television's local news series, running a flagship programme each evening, with other bulletins throughout the day. In the 1990s it captured the unfolding story of the push towards a peace settlement in Northern Ireland, through all its twist and turns, which ended with the historic Good Friday Agreement in 1998.