Senator Hillary Clinton said last night that the United States government would be present at next month's round table talks between the political parties in Northern Ireland.
Speaking at the University of Ulster's campus at Magee College in Derry, the former First Lady said that if the North's politicians failed to reach an accommodation during the talks at Leeds Castle in Kent, that would cause the people of Northern Ireland to lose faith in the democratic political process.
During her address on the theme of Peace And Reconciliation In The Modern World, Mrs Clinton told a gathering which included senior members of the DUP, SDLP and Sinn Féin, as well as academics, civic dignitaries and church leaders, that American governments had played a crucial role in the peace process in recent years.
"American involvement was essential in my view and history will record that and it has remained essential and I am delighted that the United States will be present at the meetings in September," she said.
"I would urge those who are party to the process to think about the opportunity provided by the meetings in September.
"There are tough issues to be taken and worked out, the democratic institutions of Northern Ireland have to be discussed, the Assembly and Executive stood up.
"But if too much time goes by people will lose hope.
"They will lose faith in their leaders and they will lose faith in the democratic political process.
"Delaying is not only a loss for Northern Ireland, It is a loss for democracy, it is a step backwards," she added.
The Democratic senator for New York said that even with its' "fits and starts", the peace process in Northern Ireland was still a model for conflict resolution throughout the world.
"There are examples all over the North of people being ahead of the peace process.
"They are not waiting for all of the Strand 1 and Strand 2 issues to be sorted out.
They are going about the business of working with and trusting one another.
"Sometimes it takes the people to reinforce the vote in favour of peace.
"That vote is still the message the people have sent out to the leaders and we need more people to create the conditions to enable and to enact the fulfilment of the wishes of the people," she said.
"I join with so many others in hoping that next month will see continued progress on behalf of the peace process here in this wonderful and blessed place," she added.