Fifteen-years ago today in Belfast, the two separate documents that constituted the Good Friday Agreement were signed by representatives from Britain, Ireland, Northern Irish political parties and other international mediators. The agreements laid out new arrangements for the relationships between Northern Ireland and the Republic, as well as Northern Ireland and the UK. The first agreement was between the political parties of Northern Ireland (with the exception of the DUP), the second between the British and Irish governments.
The multi-party documents brought the Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive into existence, alongside the foundation of various bodies focused on dealing with both “north/south” (ROI and NI) and “east/west” (UK and NI) concerns.
Decomissioning and human rights
As well as formalising the governance of Northern Ireland, the Agreement also laid down provisions for the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons and the ‘normalisation’ of Northern Ireland (i.e. a major reduction in the presence of security forces in the country). The documents also confronted human rights’ concerns, laying out that “the parties affirm their commitment to the mutual respect, the civil rights and the religious liberties of everyone in the community.”
Referendum
The Good Friday Agreement was brought into constitutional law by two referendums – one in the Republic and one in the North – on 23 May 1998. It came into effect in December 1998, with the Parliament and Executive fully operational by the end of 1999.
The pre-referendum campaign famously saw the nationlist John Hume (Social Democratic and Labour Party) and unionist David Trimble (Ulster Unionist Party) share a stage with Bono to promote the 'yes' vote.
15 years on
The effects of the Good Friday Agreement can still be felt. It paved the way to the St Andrew's Agreement of October 2006, which saw the republican Sinn Fein and the unionist DUP agree to power-sharing in Northern Ireland following an almost five-year long suspension of the Assembly.
While the Agreement led to the end of armed campaigns by most paramilitary groups, other groups such as the Real Irish Republican Army continue to violently oppose the Agreement and the current political state of Northern Ireland. Other sections of the Agreement took time to fully implement. The first meeting of the North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association, for example, only took place in October 2012 following its initial proposal in the Agreement.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has marked today's anniversary by praising the Agreement, reflecting that "the architects of the Agreement, and those who displayed remarkable political courage in pushing it forward, deserve our thanks."
Good Friday Agreement - in their words
"I will never sit down with Gerry Adams . . . he'd sit with anyone. He'd sit down with the devil. In fact, Adams does sit down with the devil." - Ian Paisley, 1997
"A day like today is not a day for soundbites, really. But I feel the hand of history upon our shoulders. I really do." - Tony Blair, 1998
"It will bring all our people together in a way in a way in which perhaps they have not been brought together before - and it will strengthen our peace process enormously." - David Trimble, 1998
"There will inevitably be dangers and setbacks as always but we can now be sure that the spirit of democracy contained in the Good Friday Agreement will win out against all of the negative and destructive forces we have had to deal with over the years." - Bertie Ahern, 1998
“Many of us would like to make progress much quicker... But we have to bear in mind there are people around that table who have had relatives and friends killed. You don't forget that overnight.” - Mo Mowlam
"The Good Friday Agreement and the basic rights and entitlements of citizens that are enshrined within it must be defended and actively promoted by London and Dublin." - Gerry Adams, 2004
(Main image source: Office of Tony Blair)
