Joint Statement by the British and Irish Governments (Friday evening statement)

• Country/entity

  Ireland
  United Kingdom
  Northern Ireland
  
• Region

  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  
• Agreement name

  Joint Statement by the British and Irish Governments (Friday evening statement)
• Date

  5 May 2000
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Interstate/intrastate conflict(s) ( Northern Ireland Conflict (1968 - 1998) )
• Stage

  Implementation/renegotiation
• Conflict nature

  Government/territory
• Peace process

  Northern Ireland peace process
• Parties

  British and Irish Governments
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  This was one of a number of agreements signed between the 5th and 6th of May 2000 which were part of an agreed 'choreography' between the British and Irish governments and the Northern Irish parties in the talks process and the IRA, relating to a log-jam in the talks process relating to decommissioning. This Joint Statement issued by the British and Irish Governments to bring forward the implementation of the remaining aspects of the Good Friday agreement. In light of the success of implementing all other aspects of the agreement, the governments urge the paramilitary organisations to put their arms completely and verifiably beyond use. The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) will continue its task under the agreement and is urged to seek further proposals for the decommissioning schemes in consultation with representatives of the paramilitary organisations.

• Agreement document

  UK_IE_000505_Joint Statement (Friday Evening Statement).pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

Joint Statement issued by the British and Irish Governments on (the evening of) Friday 5 May 2000

1. In recent weeks, the two governments have taken stock of progress in implementing the Good Friday agreement.

2. Much progress has already been made but there has been disagreement over how and when remaining aspects of the agreement should be achieved.

3. The governments now believe that the remaining steps necessary to secure full implementation of the agreement can be achieved by June 2001, and commit themselves to that goal.

They have drawn up, and are communicating to the parties, an account of these steps.

4. Subject to a positive response to this statement, the British government will bring forward the necessary order to enable the Assembly and Executive to be restored by May 22nd, 2000.

5. With confidence that there are clear proposals for implementing all other aspects of the agreement, the governments believe that paramilitary organisations must now, for their part, urgently state that they will put their arms completely and verifiably beyond use.

Such statements would constitute a clear reduction in the threat.

In response, the British government would, subject to its assessment of the level of threat at the time, on which it will continue to consult regularly with the Irish Government, take further substantial normalisation measures by June 2001.

6. The IICD will continue its task under the agreement.

The governments will now ask the IICD to consider urgently, in consultation with representatives of the paramilitary organisations, whether there are any further proposals for decommissioning schemes which offer the commission greater scope to proceed in more effective and satisfactory ways with the discharge of its basic mandate, and to report.

The governments will give early consideration to any such proposals.

The commission will make further reports as necessary.

Those reports will be published promptly.

7. Progress to full implementation of all aspects of the agreement will be periodically assessed by the two governments, in consultation with the Northern Ireland parties.

If difficulties arise in the implementation of the agreement [for example, the IICD reports that it does not believe that arms will be put beyond use, or the institutions are not operating in good faith as envisaged in the agreement], the two governments will, in consultation with the Assembly and the Executive, carry out an immediate formal review under the terms of the agreement.