The winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize is due to be announced today with figures from the Northern Ireland peace process among those considered contenders for the award.
The award, which carries a prize of 7.6 million Swedish crowns (about £630,000) is to be announced in Oslo this morning. Norwegian media have speculated that participants in the North's peace process, UN human rights workers and the Czech President, Mr Vaclav Havel, could be among the contenders.
A Colombian children's "Peace Movement" and the international relief group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) have also been suggested.
Almost 140 individuals and organisations have been nominated for the 1998 award.
Were the award to go to Northern Ireland, there has been speculation that it might be presented jointly to the SDLP leader Mr John Hume, the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble and the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams.
Senator George Mitchell, who chaired the talks, has also been mentioned. The 1976 Nobel award went to two leaders of the Peace People movement - Ms Betty Williams and Ms Mairead Corrigan.