Recognizes the continued importance of the Good Friday Agreement as the framework for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Urges all parties to the Agreement to : (1) work to implement its provisions and to hold elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly before the end of 2003; and (2) appoint members to the Commission on Policing.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 367 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 367
Urging that elections, pursuant to the terms of the Good Friday
Agreement, be held in Northern Ireland in 2003 and reaffirming support
for the continued implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as the
framework for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Northern
Ireland.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 15, 2003
Mr. Bereuter (for himself, Mr. Hyde, Mr. Wexler, and Mr. Walsh)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Urging that elections, pursuant to the terms of the Good Friday
Agreement, be held in Northern Ireland in 2003 and reaffirming support
for the continued implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as the
framework for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Northern
Ireland.
Whereas the Good Friday Agreement reached by the Government of Ireland, the
Government of the United Kingdom, and political party leaders of
Northern Ireland, on April 10, 1998, provided for the devolution of
government from the United Kingdom to local institutions in Northern
Ireland, created the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive Committee
and provided for a democratically elected Assembly in Northern Ireland
which is inclusive in its membership, capable of exercising executive
and legislative authority, and subject to safeguards to protect the
rights and interests of all sides of the community;
Whereas the Good Friday Agreement established a North/South Ministerial Council,
established an independent Commission on Policing to reorganize current
policing practices and to encourage widespread community support for new
policing arrangements, established an Independent Commission on
Decommissioning to facilitate the process of permanently removing from
use paramilitary arms, and outlined other provisions regarding human
rights and the treatment of prisoners;
Whereas in a referendum on May 22, 1998, the people of both Northern Ireland and
the Republic of Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Good Friday
Agreement;
Whereas on April 10, 2003, the 5th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement
which had established a framework for the peaceful settlement of the
conflict in Northern Ireland had come and gone without a continuing and
operating local power sharing government under the Good Friday
Agreement;
Whereas in October 2002, the devolved institutions of the Executive Assembly and
Executive Committee were suspended amid allegations which created a lack
of trust among the parties;
Whereas critical elections for Northern Ireland's Assembly have been postponed
twice due to a stalemate over the rejection of military attacks,
training, targeting, intelligence-gathering, acquisition of arms or
weapons, other preparations for terrorist-related activities, punishment
beatings and involvement in riots, by paramilitary elements in Northern
Ireland;
Whereas other provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, such as demilitarization,
should also continue to move forward;
Whereas the British and Irish Governments, supported by the United States
Government, have developed an additional package of proposals which
would help ensure the further implementation of the Good Friday
Agreement;
Whereas despite several, but not insurmountable, difficulties identified by the
parties in the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, the citizens
of Northern Ireland continue to indicate support for ongoing efforts at
policing reform and decommissioning and for candidates representing the
parties which supported the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process;
and
Whereas the United States should remain politically involved to ensure the long-
term success of the peace agreement: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the continued importance of the Good Friday
Agreement and urges all parties to the Agreement to work more
diligently for the full implementation of all its provisions;
(2) urges all parties to the Agreement to create the
conditions necessary to hold the important elections for the
Assembly before the end of 2003, to abide by the outcome of the
elections and to agree to have the devolved government back in
operation as soon as practical;
(3) urges the people of Northern Ireland to continue to
demonstrate their faith in and continued support for the peace
process, the Good Friday Agreement, and to urge all political
parties and candidates to fully support the Agreement;
(4) supports the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the
Irish Taoiseach, and all the leaders of the political parties
in Northern Ireland who created the opportunity for a
negotiated peace but now urges them to put aside past
differences and disputes and to proceed in a meaningful way to
actually implement those agreements which they endorsed;
(5) encourages those parties to the Good Friday Agreement
which have not appointed members to the policing Board to do so
in a timely fashion in order to ensure that the police service
continues to gain the support of all Northern Ireland and which
will ensure that the police service will reflect both
communities they serve, will be fair, accountable, free from
political control and committed to human rights;
(6) stresses the importance of completing the
decommissioning of weapons held by paramilitary organizations
on all sides and to follow recent decommissioning successes
with additional efforts by paramilitaries on both the loyalist
and republican sides; and
(7) reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation that
exist between the United States and the Governments of the
United Kingdom and Ireland, our continued strong support for
the Good Friday Agreement, and our support for the political
parties who are seeking the establishment of a strong and
lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
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