[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>