[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 117 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 20
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 117
Expressing support for the full implementation of the Good Friday
Agreement, or the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent agreements and
arrangements for implementation to support peace on the island of
Ireland.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 16, 2021
Mr. Menendez (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Leahy, Mr.
Markey, Mr. Coons, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Casey,
Mr. Booker, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Reed, and Mr.
Brown) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
March 24, 2021
Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment and an amendment to the
preamble
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the full implementation of the Good Friday
Agreement, or the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent agreements and
arrangements for implementation to support peace on the island of
Ireland.
Whereas, on April 10, 1998, the Government of Ireland and the Government of the
United Kingdom signed the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the
``Belfast Agreement'';
Whereas the goals of the Good Friday Agreement were to bring a new era of
devolved government and democracy to Northern Ireland, end violence, and
ensure peace for the people of the island of Ireland;
Whereas the successful negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement stands as a
historic and groundbreaking success that has proven critical to the
decades of relative peace that have followed;
Whereas the return to power sharing in 2020 after the collapse of power-sharing
institutions in 2017 creates new opportunities for strengthening peace
and reconciliation in Northern Ireland;
Whereas the agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union on the
withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and the
protocol to that agreement on Northern Ireland preserving an open border
on the island of Ireland (in this preamble referred to as the ``Northern
Ireland Protocol''), are intended to protect the peace forged under the
Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas, despite the historic progress of the Good Friday Agreement and
subsequent agreements, including the Stormont House Agreement agreed to
in December 2014, important issues remain unresolved in Northern
Ireland, including the passage of a Bill of Rights, securing justice for
all victims of violence, including state-sponsored violence, and
reducing sectarian divisions and promoting reconciliation;
Whereas section 6 of the Good Friday Agreement (``Rights, Safeguards and
Equality of Opportunity'') recognizes ``the importance of respect,
understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity'' as
part of ``the cultural wealth of the island of Ireland'' and declares
the Government of the United Kingdom will seek ways to encourage the use
of and education in the Irish language and provide opportunities for
Irish language arts;
Whereas the reintroduction of barriers, checkpoints, or personnel on the island
of Ireland, also known as a ``hard border'', including through the
invocation of Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, would
threaten the successes of the Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas the United States Congress played a prominent role in support of
negotiations of the Good Friday Agreement and has taken a leading role
in promoting peace on the island of Ireland more broadly; and
Whereas Congress greatly values the close relationships the United States shares
with both the United Kingdom and Ireland and stands steadfastly
committed to supporting the peaceful resolution of any and all political
challenges in Northern Ireland: Now, therefore, be it
Whereas, on April 10, 1998, the Government of Ireland and the Government of the
United Kingdom signed the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the
``Belfast Agreement'';
Whereas the goals of the Good Friday Agreement were to bring a new era of
devolved government and democracy to Northern Ireland, end violence, and
ensure peace for the people of the island of Ireland;
Whereas the successful negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement stands as a
historic and groundbreaking success that has proven critical to the
decades of relative peace that have followed;
Whereas the return to power sharing in 2020 after the collapse of power-sharing
institutions in 2017 creates new opportunities for strengthening peace
and reconciliation in Northern Ireland;
Whereas the agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union on the
withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and the
protocol to that agreement on Northern Ireland preserving an open border
on the island of Ireland (in this preamble referred to as the ``Northern
Ireland Protocol''), are intended to protect the peace forged under the
Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas, despite the historic progress of the Good Friday Agreement and
subsequent agreements, including the Stormont House Agreement agreed to
in December 2014, important issues remain unresolved in Northern
Ireland, including the passage of a Bill of Rights, securing justice for
all victims of violence, including violence by state and non-state
actors, and reducing sectarian divisions and promoting reconciliation;
Whereas section 6 of the Good Friday Agreement (``Rights, Safeguards and
Equality of Opportunity'') recognizes ``the importance of respect,
understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity'' as
part of ``the cultural wealth of the island of Ireland'' and declares
the Government of the United Kingdom will seek ways to encourage the use
of and education in the Irish language and provide opportunities for
Irish language arts;
Whereas the reintroduction of barriers, checkpoints, or personnel on the island
of Ireland, also known as a ``hard border'', including through the
invocation of Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, would
threaten the successes of the Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas the United States Congress played a prominent role in support of
negotiations of the Good Friday Agreement and has taken a leading role
in promoting peace on the island of Ireland more broadly; and
Whereas Congress greatly values the close relationships the United States shares
with both the United Kingdom and Ireland and stands steadfastly
committed to supporting the peaceful resolution of any and all political
challenges in Northern Ireland: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
<DELETED> (1) urges the United Kingdom and the European
Union to support peace on the island of Ireland and the
principles, objectives, and commitments of the Good Friday
Agreement, also known as the ``Belfast Agreement'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) expresses support for the full implementation
of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements,
including the Stormont House Agreement agreed to in December
2014, as well as the protocol on Northern Ireland to the
agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the
European Union (in this resolution referred to as the
``Northern Ireland Protocol'');</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) congratulates all parties in Northern Ireland
for the return in January 2020 to a power-sharing
agreement;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) urges all parties in Northern Ireland to work
collectively to ensure the implementation of all commitments of
the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements so that all
of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement can operate
successfully and sustainably and that ongoing political
challenges can be overcome;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) calls for continuing attention and action to
resolve the injustices of past violence, including state-
sponsored violence;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) supports the passage of a Bill of Rights for
Northern Ireland and the right of all the people on the island
of Ireland to self-determine their future as provided for in
the Good Friday Agreement;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) encourages renewed attention to educational
and cultural efforts that will ensure the rich language,
literature, and arts of Northern Ireland endure and are not
diminished;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) expresses support for the Northern Ireland
Protocol and its full implementation, which ensures through
international agreement that no ``hard border'' will be
reintroduced on the island of Ireland; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) will insist that any new or amended trade
agreements and other bilateral agreements between the
Government of the United States and the Government of the
United Kingdom take into account, as relevant, conditions
requiring that obligations under the Good Friday Agreement be
met.</DELETED>
That the Senate--
(1) urges the United Kingdom and the European Union to
support peace on the island of Ireland and the principles,
objectives, and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement, also
known as the ``Belfast Agreement'';
(2) expresses support for the full implementation of the
Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements, including the
Stormont House Agreement agreed to in December 2014, as well as
the protocol on Northern Ireland to the agreement on the
withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (in
this resolution referred to as the ``Northern Ireland
Protocol'');
(3) congratulates all parties in Northern Ireland for the
return in January 2020 to a power-sharing agreement;
(4) urges all parties in Northern Ireland to work
collectively to ensure the implementation of all commitments of
the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements so that all
of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement can operate
successfully and sustainably and that ongoing political
challenges can be overcome;
(5) calls for continuing attention and action to resolve
the injustices of past violence, including violence by state
and non-state actors;
(6) supports the passage of a Bill of Rights for Northern
Ireland and the right of all the people on the island of
Ireland to self-determine their future as provided for in the
Good Friday Agreement;
(7) encourages renewed attention to educational and
cultural efforts that will ensure the rich language,
literature, and arts of Northern Ireland endure and are not
diminished;
(8) expresses support for the Northern Ireland Protocol and
its full implementation, which ensures through international
agreement that no ``hard border'' will be reintroduced on the
island of Ireland; and
(9) will insist that any new or amended trade agreements
and other bilateral agreements between the Government of the
United States and the Government of the United Kingdom take
into account, as relevant, conditions requiring that
obligations under the Good Friday Agreement be met.
Calendar No. 20
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 117
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the full implementation of the Good Friday
Agreement, or the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent agreements and
arrangements for implementation to support peace on the island of
Ireland.
_______________________________________________________________________
March 24, 2021
Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble