Mitchell Principles
The Mitchell Principles were six ground rules agreed by the Irish and British governments and the political parties in Northern Ireland regarding participation in talks on the future of the region. They were named for United States Senator George Mitchell, who was heavily involved in the Northern Ireland peace process as the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. All involved in negotiations had to affirm their commitment: Sinn Féin's acceptance of the principles was strongly criticised by more hardline republicans and led to resignations within the party.