The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore, is hosting a high-level conference in Dublin today, April 27 on the Northern Ireland peace process. The conference, being held in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, takes place in the context of Ireland’s Chairmanship of the OSCE.

The one-day conference aims to present Ireland’s recent experience of building and sustaining peace as a case study of possible relevance to those seeking solutions to conflicts elsewhere in the OSCE.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Minister Gilmore said, “as Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, I am committed to doing what I can to advance efforts to resolve ongoing conflicts in the OSCE area. By presenting the experience of achieving a peaceful political settlement in Northern Ireland, I hope we can illustrate that shared futures can be forged from seemingly intractable situations.”

The OSCE Chairperson will be joined at the conference by First Minister Peter Robinson; Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness; and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Owen Paterson. US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, sent a video message of support for the conference, which is also being addressed by Senator George Mitchell, Minister of State Brian Hayes and the Secretary General of the OSCE, Lamberto Zannier.

The conference is being moderated by the former President of Finland and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Martti Ahtisaari.