Letter from British and Irish governments to the political parties in Northern Ireland (Saturday morning)

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Country/entity: Ireland
United Kingdom
Northern Ireland
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Letter from British and Irish governments to the political parties in Northern Ireland (Saturday morning)
Date: 6 May 2000
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Interstate/intrastate conflict(s)
Northern Ireland Conflict (1968 - 1998)
Commonly referred to as ‘the Troubles’, the most recent conflict over the territory of Northern Ireland can be framed as beginning in 1968 and ending with the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement) in 1998. While the genesis of the conflict was closely related to pressures for the state to reform with relation to discrimination against the (minority) Catholic population, the core issue of the conflict as it proceeded was the constitutional status of Northern Ireland, which was contested between the unionist/loyalist (mostly Protestant) majority, who wanted the territory to remain as part of the United Kingdom, and the nationalist/republican (mostly Catholic) minority, whose goal was to unite the six provincial counties with the Republic of Ireland. The thirty years prior to the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement were marked by inter-communal violence, active paramilitary groups, and the deployment of the British army in the province. Mediation by international actors, and dialogue between the British and Irish governments, and between the IRA and its representatives and the British Government eventually resulted in a ceasefire respected by the majority of combatants. Talks led to the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement which established a power-sharing system of governance between nationalist and unionist communities.
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 Letter from British and Irish governments to the political parties in Northern Ireland sets out the governments' proposals necessary to secure full implementation of the Good Friday agreement by June 2001.

Agreement document: UK_IE_000506_Letter from British and Irish governments to the political parties in NI.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: Page 1, Rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity,
As has already been announced, incorporation of the EHCR into British and Irish domestic law will take effect from October 2000. The British government has already invited the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to advise on the scope for defining rights supplementary to the convention...

Page 1, Rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity,
...The British government will ratify the Council of Europe Charter on Regional or Minority Languages by September 2000, and publish within six months an action plan for implementing the charter. Technical discussions on the steps required further to extend TG4 reception in Northern Ireland will continue. Other measures will also be taken, including a two-year Irish-language TV and film production pilot scheme, which will start by April 2001.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: Rights related issues→Media and communication→Media roles
Page 1, Rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity
...The British government will ratify the Council of Europe Charter on Regional or Minority Languages by September 2000, and publish within six months an action plan for implementing the charter. Technical discussions on the steps required further to extend TG4 reception in Northern Ireland will continue. Other measures will also be taken, including a two-year Irish-language TV and film production pilot scheme, which will start by April 2001.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: Rights institutions→NHRI→Mentions of NHRI
Page 1, Rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity
As has already been announced, incorporation of the EHCR into British and Irish domestic law will take effect from October 2000. The British government has already invited the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to advise on the scope for defining rights supplementary to the convention. Under the legislation which came into effect in January, all designated public authorities in Northern Ireland will begin to have equality schemes in place from July 1st, 2000.

Page 1, Rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity
...The Irish Commission on Human Rights will be established by the Irish Government in July 2000 so that the joint committee of both human rights commissions required under the agreement will therefore be established by the end of July 2000.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: Justice sector reform→Criminal justice and emergency law→Criminal Justice System reform
Page 2, Policing and justice
...The British government has already announced a six-month consultation process on the Criminal Justice Review to end in September, so the government will announce its decisions on implementation in October 2000. Legislation, and a detailed timetable for implementation, will be published by April 2001.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: Land, property and environment→Cultural heritage→Intangible
Page 1, Rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity
...The British government will ratify the Council of Europe Charter on Regional or Minority Languages by September 2000, and publish within six months an action plan for implementing the charter. Technical discussions on the steps required further to extend TG4 reception in Northern Ireland will continue. Other measures will also be taken, including a two-year Irish-language TV and film production pilot scheme, which will start by April 2001.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: Page 2, Policing and justice
Legislation to implement the Patten report will, subject to Parliament, be enacted by November 2000. The new Policing Board will be appointed in January 2001 and will assume its responsibilities in April 2001. A new independent police recruitment agency will be established, and the first process for recruits to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland will start in April 2001...
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1, Security
The British government will progressively take all the necessary steps to secure as early a return as possible to normal security arrangements in Northern Ireland, consistent with the level of threat. It will report regularly on the steps taken and will consult with the Irish Government, and the political parties as appropriate, on measures necessary to respond to any continuing paramilitary activity. In particular, both governments will continue to oppose with resolute and determined action any group that uses or threatens violence to disrupt the peace process, taking whatever measures within the law are justified by the threat.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: Page 2, Prisoners
It is intended that, in accordance with the Good Friday agreement, all remaining prisoners qualifying for early release will be released by July 28th, 2000. Measures will continue to be taken to facilitate the reintegration of prisoners into the community, and to address related issues.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: Page 1, Rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity
...Both governments will continue to take measures and develop programmes to support the victims of violence and their families...
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: CAIN Web Service
https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/peace/docs/bi060500.htm

Letter from the British and Irish governments to the political parties in Northern Ireland on (the morning of) Saturday 6 May 2000

This letter, sent on Saturday morning, sets out the governments' proposals necessary to secure full implementation of the agreement by June 2001, in addition to those already set out in our statement.

Rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity

As has already been announced, incorporation of the EHCR into British and Irish domestic law will take effect from October 2000.

The British government has already invited the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to advise on the scope for defining rights supplementary to the convention.

Under the legislation which came into effect in January, all designated public authorities in Northern Ireland will begin to have equality schemes in place from July 1st, 2000.

The Irish Commission on Human Rights will be established by the Irish Government in July 2000 so that the joint committee of both human rights commissions required under the agreement will therefore be established by the end of July 2000.

Both governments will continue to take measures and develop programmes to support the victims of violence and their families.

The British government will ratify the Council of Europe Charter on Regional or Minority Languages by September 2000, and publish within six months an action plan for implementing the charter.

Technical discussions on the steps required further to extend TG4 reception in Northern Ireland will continue.

Other measures will also be taken, including a two-year Irish-language TV and film production pilot scheme, which will start by April 2001.

Security

The British government will progressively take all the necessary steps to secure as early a return as possible to normal security arrangements in Northern Ireland, consistent with the level of threat.

It will report regularly on the steps taken and will consult with the Irish Government, and the political parties as appropriate, on measures necessary to respond to any continuing paramilitary activity.

In particular, both governments will continue to oppose with resolute and determined action any group that uses or threatens violence to disrupt the peace process, taking whatever measures within the law are justified by the threat.

Policing and justice

Legislation to implement the Patten report will, subject to Parliament, be enacted by November 2000.

The new Policing Board will be appointed in January 2001 and will assume its responsibilities in April 2001.

A new independent police recruitment agency will be established, and the first process for recruits to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland will start in April 2001.

The British government has already announced a six-month consultation process on the Criminal Justice Review to end in September, so the government will announce its decisions on implementation in October 2000.

Legislation, and a detailed timetable for implementation, will be published by April 2001.

Prisoners

It is intended that, in accordance with the Good Friday agreement, all remaining prisoners qualifying for early release will be released by July 28th, 2000.

Measures will continue to be taken to facilitate the reintegration of prisoners into the community, and to address related issues.

We are writing in similar terms to the leaders of other parties represented in the Assembly and of the UDP.