The Good Friday Agreement

The Belfast Agreement/The Good Friday Agreement was signed on 10 April 1998, following three decades of conflict known as the Troubles. The Agreement created a new power-sharing arrangement, including an Executive and Assembly, and was based on a series of fundamental principles including:

• the parity of esteem of both communities
• the Principle of consent underpinning Northern Ireland’s constitutional status
• the birthright of the people of Northern Ireland to identify and be accepted as British or Irish, or both, and to hold both British and Irish citizenship

The hard-won gains of the peace process have transformed the political and economic life of Northern Ireland since 1998, and the Agreement continues to serve as a framework for peace and prosperity.

What’s in the Agreement?

The Agreement comprises the Multi-Party Agreement, between the UK and Irish Governments and the parties in Northern Ireland, and the British-Irish Agreement between the UK and Irish Governments. It was approved by voters on 22 May 1998, and came into force on 2 December 1999.

The Agreement resulted in the creation of the three strands of political structures, respectively covering Northern Ireland’s governance, North-South relations, and East-West relations. The Government is committed to upholding each of these strands, which all carry equal importance:

• Strand One established the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive to make laws and decisions on most of the issues affecting everyday life in Northern Ireland.
• Strand Two established the North-South institutions – the North-South Ministerial Council and the North-South Implementation Bodies – that support co-operation between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
• Strand Three established the East-West institutions – the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and the British-Irish Council that support co-operation between the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The Agreement also set out a series of important rights for the people of Northern Ireland, including on identity and citizenship, and made commitments on decommissioning, security, policing and prisoners.