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Doc. 8088 2nd edition
11 May 1998
Agreement in Northern Ireland on 10 April 1998
Written Declaration No. 273
2nd edition, originally tabled on 22 April 1998
This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it |
1. The Assembly welcomes the Agreement between the Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland.
2. The Assembly regrets that as yet not all political parties have endorsed the agreement.
3. The Assembly notes the agreement to establish a Regional Assembly in Northern Ireland in which all political parties which have renounced violence can serve in the Executive as of right on the basis of proportionality.
4. The Assembly notes the decision of the Irish Government to recommend an amendment to the sections of the Constitution of Ireland which involve a territorial claim over Northern Ireland and to substitute therefore a wider, more inclusive definition of Irish nationality which is consistent with the aspirations and allegiances of all inhabitants on the island of Ireland.
5. The Assembly notes the decision of both Governments that:
The participants endorse the commitment made by the British and Irish Governments that, in a new British-Irish Agreement replacing the Anglo-Irish Agreement, they will:
(i) recognise the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland;
(ii) recognise that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts respectively and without external impediment, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given, North and South, to bring about a united Ireland, if that is their wish, accepting that this right must be achieved and exercised with and subject to the agreement and consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland;
(iii) acknowledge that while a substantial section of the people in Northern Ireland share the legitimate wish of a majority of the people of the island of Ireland for a united Ireland, the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and accordingly, that Northern Ireland’s status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people;
(iv) affirm that if, in the future, the people of the island of Ireland exercise their right of self-determination on the basis set out in sections (i) and (ii) above to bring about a united Ireland, it will be a binding obligation on both Governments to introduce and support in their respective Parliaments legislation to give effect to that wish;
(v) affirm that whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, the power of the sovereign government with jurisdiction there shall be exercised with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions and shall be founded on the principals of full respect for, and equality of, civil, political, social and cultural rights, of freedom from discrimination for all citizens, and of parity of esteem and of just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos, and aspirations of both communities;
(vi) recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland.
6. The Assembly welcomes the proposal to incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights in Northern Ireland Legislation.
7. The Assembly welcomes the decision of the Irish Government to establish a Human Rights Commission and to further examine the incorporation of the provisions of the ECHR in its legislation.
8. The Assembly welcomes the proposal to form a North/South Ministerial Council to develop consultation, co-operation and actions within the island of Ireland.
9. The Assembly welcomes the proposal to establish a British/Irish council to promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the people of the islands of Britain and Ireland and that its membership will include the two Governments, the Assemblies within the United Kingdom together with representatives of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
10. The Assembly welcomes the decision of the UK to consider signing the Council of Europe Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
11. The Assembly welcomes the decision of the Irish Government to proceed to ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention on National Minorities (already ratified by the United Kingdom).
12. The Assembly calls upon all paramilitary organisations to decommission their illegally held arms.
13. The Assembly of the Council of Europe trusts that the Agreement will be the basis for lasting peace, respect and co-operation among the peoples of the United Kingdom and Ireland and is of the opinion that the Agreement is a creative resolution of a long standing conflict about allegiance which may serve as an example for the resolution of conflicts in other parts of Europe.
Signed : 1
Taylor J.D., United Kingdom, EPP/CD
Enright, Ireland, EPP/CD
Aguiar, Portugal, EPP/CD
Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG
Birraux, France, EPP/CD
Bolinaga, Spain, EPP/CD
Briane, France, EPP/CD
Brunhart, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD
Chapman, United Kingdom, EDG
Columberg, Switzerland, EPP/CD
Colvin, United Kingdom, EDG
Connor, Ireland, EPP/CD
Davis, United Kingdom, SOC
Diaz de Mera, Spain, EPP/CD
Domljan, Croatia, EPP/CD
Dundee, United Kingdom, EDG
Etherington, United Kingdom, SOC
Figel, Slovakia, EPP/CD
Flynn, United Kingdom, SOC
Frunda, Romania, EPP/CD
Fyfe, United Kingdom, SOC
Gabrielescu, Romania, EPP/CD
Gatterer, Austria, EPP/CD
Grenfell, United Kingdom, SOC
Györivanyi, Hungary, EPP/CD
Hancock, United Kingdom, LDR
Hoeffel, France, EPP/CD
Janecek, Czech Republic, EPP/CD
Jónsson, Iceland, EDG
Kalos, Greece, EPP/CD
Kandare, Croatia, EPP/CD
Kelam, Estonia, EPP/CD
Kelemen, Romania, EPP/CD
Kiely, Ireland, LDR
Kirkhill, United Kingdom, SOC
Kitov, Bulgaria, EPP/CD
Kukk, Estonia, EPP/CD
Kuznetsov, Russia, EPP/CD
Lachat, Switzerland, EPP/CD
Laternser, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD
Lentz-Cornette, Luxembourg, EPP/CD
van der Linden, Netherlands, EPP/CD
Lopez Henares, Spain, EPP/CD
Lupu, Romania, EPP/CD
Maginas, Greece, EPP/CD
de Marco, Malta, EPP/CD
Martínez Casań, Spain, EPP/CD
McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC
Meier, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD
Mota Amaral, Portugal, EPP/CD
Mozetic, Slovenia, EPP/CD
Mozgan, Slovenia, EPP/CD
Mutman, Turkey, SOC
Novakova, Czech Republic, EPP/CD
Obuljen, Croatia, EPP/CD
O’Hara, United Kingdom, SOC
Pollo, Albania, EPP/CD
Ponsonby, United Kingdom, SOC
Pulgar, Spain, EPP/CD
Radic, Croatia, EPP/CD
Ragnarsdóttir, Iceland, EDG
Ramirez Pery, Spain, EPP/CD
Raskinis, Lithuania, EPP/CD
Risari, Italy, EPP/CD
Rise, Norway, EPP/CD
Roseta, Portugal, EPP/CD
Schwimmer, Austria, EPP/CD
Shuba, Russia, EPP/CD
Smith G., United Kingdom, SOC
Smorawinski, Poland, EPP/CD
Squarcialupi, Italy, SOC
Staes, Belgium, EPP/CD
Steolea, Romania, EDG
Stoyanova, Bulgaria, EPP/CD
Tahir, Bulgaria, EPP/CD
Telgmaa, Estonia, EDG
Theis, Luxembourg, EPP/CD
Toshev, Bulgaria, EPP/CD
Townend, United Kingdom, EDG
Uroic, Croatia, EPP/CD
Vella, Malta, EPP/CD
Vis, United Kingdom, SOC
Wittbrodt, Poland, EPP/CD
___________________
Total = 83