The University of EdinburghPeace Agreements DatabasePeaceRep

Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland establishing a North/South Ministerial Council

  • Country/entity

    Ireland
    United Kingdom
    Northern Ireland
  • Region

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

    Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland establishing a North/South Ministerial Council
  • Date

    8 Mar 1999
  • 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

    The Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Third parties

    -
  • Description

    In order to implement Article 2 of the British-Irish Agreement, this Agreement establishes a North-South, British-Irish Ministerial Council ("the Council").


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
    Page 1, Article 1
    Under and in furtherance of Article 2 of the British-Irish Agreement, there is hereby established a British-Irish Council ("the Council").

    Page 1, Article 2
    The Council shall be constituted and shall operate in accordance with the provisions of the Multi-Party Agreement.

    Page 1, Article 3
    Both sides of the Council, with each side acting in accordance with the appropriate arrangements in its jurisdiction, shall be responsible for the operation of the Council and shall as necessary, acting within the Council, decide on supplementary procedural arrangements relating to its operation.

Governance

  • Political institutions (new or reformed)
    Governance→Political institutions (new or reformed)→New political institutions (indefinite)
    Page 1, Article 1
    Under and in furtherance of Article 2 of the British-Irish Agreement, there is hereby established a British-Irish Council ("the Council").

    Page 1, Article 2
    The Council shall be constituted and shall operate in accordance with the provisions of the Multi-Party Agreement.

    Page 1, Article 3
    Both sides of the Council, with each side acting in accordance with the appropriate arrangements in its jurisdiction, shall be responsible for the operation of the Council and shall as necessary, acting within the Council, decide on supplementary procedural arrangements relating to its operation.
  • 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
    Coder YES
    The agreement states “The Council shall be constituted and shall operate in accordance with the provisions of the Multi-Party Agreement.” However this is only implementing legislation and no details of the arrangement are contained within this agreement."
  • 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

    No specific mention.

  • 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

    No specific mention.

  • Mobility/access

    No specific mention.

  • Protection measures

    No specific mention.

  • Other

    No specific mention.


Rights institutions

  • NHRI

    No specific mention.

  • Regional or international human rights institutions

    No specific mention.


Justice sector reform

  • Criminal justice and emergency law

    No specific mention.

  • 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

    No specific mention.

  • 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

    No specific mention.

  • Armed forces

    No specific mention.

  • DDR

    No specific mention.

  • Intelligence services

    No specific mention.

  • Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces

    No specific mention.

  • 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

    No specific mention.

  • Vetting

    No specific mention.

  • Victims

    No specific mention.

  • 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/issues/politics/docs/nio/bi080399.htm

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ESTABLISHING A BRITISH-IRISH COUNCIL

The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland:

Having regard to Article 2 of the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland done at Belfast on 10th April 1998 ("the British-Irish Agreement") and to the Multi-Party Agreement reached at Belfast on 10th April 1998 ("the Multi-Party Agreement") annexed to the British-Irish Agreement;

Recalling that the participants in the multi-party negotiations pledged that they would in good faith work to ensure the success of each and every one of the arrangements to be established under the Multi-Party Agreement, and that it was accepted that "all of the institutional and constitutional arrangements - an Assembly in Northern Ireland, a North/South Ministerial Council, implementation bodies, a British-Irish Council, and a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and any amendments to British Acts of Parliament and the Constitution oflreland - are interlocking and interdependent and that in particular the functions of the Assembly and the North/South Council are so closely inter-related that the success of each depends on that of the other",

Have agreed as follows ·

ARTICLE 1

Under and in furtherance of Article 2 of the British-Irish Agreement, there is hereby established a British-Irish Council ("the Council").

ARTICLE 2

The Council shall be constituted and shall operate in accordance with the provisions of the MultiParty Agreement.

ARTICLE 3

The Members of the Council shall be responsible for the operation of the Council and shall as necessary, acting by consensus within the Council, decide on supplementary procedural arrangements relating to its operation.

ARTICLE 4

This Agreement shall enter into force on the date on which the British-Irish Agreement enters into force.

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto by the respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.

Done in two originals at Dublin on the 8th day of March 1999.

For the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

For the Government of Ireland