[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 744 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 744

    Expressing support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 as the 
    blueprint for lasting peace in Northern Ireland and support for 
 continued police reform in Northern Ireland as a critical element in 
                           the peace process.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2006

 Mr. Hyde (for himself, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Smith 
  of New Jersey, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. 
   Crowley, Mr. McCotter, Mrs. McCarthy, Mr. Payne, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. 
Higgins, and Mr. Rothman) submitted the following resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 as the 
    blueprint for lasting peace in Northern Ireland and support for 
 continued police reform in Northern Ireland as a critical element in 
                           the peace process.

Whereas the Good Friday Agreement, signed on April 10, 1998, in Belfast, was 
        endorsed in a referendum by the overwhelming majority of people in 
        Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland;
Whereas the parties to the Good Friday Agreement made a clear commitment to 
        ``partnership, equality, and mutual respect'' as the basis for moving 
        forward in pursuit of lasting peace in Northern Ireland;
Whereas the parties to the Good Friday Agreement also affirmed their ``total and 
        absolute commitment to exclusively democratic and peaceful means'' in 
        pursuit of lasting peace in Northern Ireland;
Whereas inclusive power-sharing based on these defining qualities is essential 
        to the viability and advancement of the democratic process in Northern 
        Ireland;
Whereas paramilitary activity by both traditions in a democratic society 
        undermines the trust and confidence that are essential in a political 
        system based on inclusive power-sharing in Northern Ireland;
Whereas on September 26, 2005, the International Independent Commission on 
        Decommissioning (IICD) confirmed the Irish Republican Army had destroyed 
        its full arsenal of weapons;
Whereas the Good Friday Agreement called for police reform and establishment of 
        a ``new beginning'' in policing in Northern Ireland with an effective, 
        accountable, and fair police service capable of attracting support from 
        the entire community, maintaining law and order, and adhering to the 
        principle of the protection of human rights;
Whereas the new Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has made great strides 
        in becoming an integrated, professional, and impartial police force 
        under civilian control and responsive to all community concerns, and has 
        worked to protect both communities from violence;
Whereas significant further work in police reform, and in fostering community 
        acceptance of the PSNI, must still be accomplished;
Whereas the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Ireland 
        continue to strongly support the Good Friday Agreement as the way 
        forward in the peace process and have committed themselves to its 
        implementation; and
Whereas the Government of the United States continues to strongly support the 
        peace process in Northern Ireland: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives--
                    (A) reiterates its support for the Good Friday 
                Agreement, signed on April 10, 1998, in Belfast, as the 
                blueprint for a lasting peace in Northern Ireland;
                    (B) commends the Prime Minister of the United 
                Kingdom Tony Blair and the Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern 
                for their leadership and persistence in seeking a 
                peaceful resolution in Northern Ireland;
                    (C) commends the Sinn Fein leadership in 
                successfully urging the Irish Republican Army to end 
                its armed struggle and verifiably put its weapons 
                beyond use;
                    (D) commends Sir Hugh S. Orde, Chief Constable of 
                the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), for his 
                leadership and for working to protect both communities;
                    (E) commends the PSNI for the institution of the 
                Historical Enquiries Team, which will provide a 
                thorough and independent examination of unresolved 
                deaths that occurred in connection with the Troubles 
                from 1968 to 1989;
                    (F) commends Nuala O'Loan and the Police 
                Ombudsman's Office for the work they have done in 
                promoting human rights in law enforcement and in 
                fostering community confidence in the PSNI; and
                    (G) commends the work of the Northern Irish 
                Policing Board and its District Partnerships for 
                promoting genuine community policing in Northern 
                Ireland; and
            (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
                    (A) all groups and organizations should end their 
                involvement in paramilitary activity;
                    (B) all political parties in Northern Ireland 
                should--
                            (i) agree to share power with all parties 
                        according to the democratic mandate of the Good 
                        Friday Agreement; and
                            (ii) commit to work in good faith with all 
                        the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, 
                        which established the Northern Ireland Assembly 
                        and an inclusive Executive, the North-South 
                        Ministerial Council, and the British-Irish 
                        Inter-Governmental Conference, for the benefit 
                        of all the people of Northern Ireland;
                    (C) since policing reform is a significant part of 
                winning public confidence and acceptance in the new 
                form of government in Northern Ireland, all political 
                parties should cooperate fully with the PSNI in 
                preventing and investigating crimes; and
                    (D) the Government of the United Kingdom and the 
                Government of Ireland should work to achieve full 
                implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, including 
                devolution of policing and justice, the normalization 
                of the security presence, and of the Independent 
                Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland reforms, 
                including long-term senior-level exchanges between the 
                Garda Siochana, the police service of the Republic of 
                Ireland, and the PSNI.
                                 <all>