Let me for the moment and as a start, answer the question, what is International Political Mediation? And, what is its role and importance in the settlement of international disputes and conflicts? Mediation is, we all know that, a specific approach focused on the third party, helping belligerent parties solving their conflict. It is a very old method, based on conciliation and amicable composition. Many mediation cases could be found in ancient history among Greeks and Romans, and other peoples, where mediators used to be appointed in order to build up a common ground for a way out of a conflict between two disputing cities or communities. In our contemporary world, mediation is a political process highly encouraged by the United Nations in its chapter six, dedicated to the Pacific Settlement of Disputes. Mediation then occurs when the conflict has begun. But, as violent conflicts and wars tend to grow, late secretary general of the United Nations Organization Boutros Boutros-Ghali, has put forth the idea that prevention and mediation should take place before violent conflicts flare up. He was confronted at that time to the two major internal conflicts of the end of the 20th century namely; the war in the Balkan region after former Yugoslavia was partitioned, and the civil ethnical war in Rwanda where mass murders claimed the lives of hundreds of thousand civilians. At this point, the idea of a preventive mediation intended to avoid crisis, wars, and bloody conflicts begin to make its way as a necessary step. In order to ensure positive results, belligerent parties have on one hand to choose an adequate mediator. As a reminder, mediation can be implemented only and only if both parties agree on the third party that will organize and conduct the mediation process. On the other hand, international mediation is a process that includes confidentiality, willingness of the disputing parties to come to terms with their conflict and reach agreement through a bonafide negotiation. Therefore, these conditions are essential in order to help the mediator propose a solution that could be acceptable by the disputing parties. I have always mentioned the importance of mediation from a general point of view as an alternative dispute resolution, but how effective mediation have been so far? Usually, mediation is aimed at putting an end to conflict that take place. Only a few mediation have been successful in avoiding the outbreak of wars among states. Still, one has to keep in mind, the successful mediation in 1984 of late Pope John Paul the second, in settling the border disputes between Chile and Argentine over the Beagle Channel separating the two countries. War between the two countries was at that time avoided. So mainly, mediations try to facilitate negotiations to bring peace among forces and outline important statesmen can broke a peace. Julius Nyerere, late President of Tanzania and after him, late president Nelson Mandela of South Africa were mediators in the conflict of Burundi. President Bill Clinton, played a crucial role and inter-mediating among parties involved in the Northern Ireland conflict and the agreement of Belfast known as the Good Friday Agreement, was signed in 1988. It is a complex agreement involving several parties such as the various political and military forces in Northern Ireland. But it also includes Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The treaty settled the longest conflict the world has known at that time. Among the famous mediation processes that lead to negotiation, one has to outline the importance of the Oslo Treaty, although it was signed in Washington on the 13th of September 1993. It initiated peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis, bringing about their mutual recognition and discussing crucial issues, such as land and territory, settlements, Jerusalem and the fate of the Palestinian refugees. This mediation was carried out by the Norwegian government. One has to mention also, that the previous treaty, namely the Treaty of Washington, also known as the Treaty of Camp David, signed in 1979, has ended the state of war between Israel and Egypt. Thanks to the United States mediation. In the coming sessions, we will have the opportunity to tackle over mediation cases.