In 2000, the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School honored Senator George Mitchell with the Great Negotiator Award for his work as the Independent Chairman of the Northern Ireland Peace Talks. Under his leadership, the Good Friday Agreement, an historic accord ending decades of conflict, was agreed to by the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland. For his service in Northern Ireland Senator Mitchell received numerous other awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by the US government; the Philadelphia Liberty Medal; the Truman Institute Peace Prize; and the United Nations (UNESCO) Peace Prize.
On April 29, 2016, PON welcomed Senator Mitchell back to Harvard Law School for a conversation with professors Robert Mnookin and James Sebenius.
