[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 43 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 43

    Marking the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday 
                               Agreement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 17, 2023

  Mr. Neal (for himself and Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Marking the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday 
                               Agreement.

Whereas, on April 10, 1998, the Government of Ireland and the Government of the 
        United Kingdom signed the Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas, on May 22, 1998, the Agreement was endorsed by the vast majority of 
        citizens voting in simultaneous referendums in Northern Ireland and the 
        Republic of Ireland;
Whereas the Good Friday Agreement brought to an end the longest period of 
        conflict in the history of Ireland and delivered 25 years of relative 
        peace;
Whereas the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements reaffirm ``a total 
        and absolute commitment to exclusively democratic and peaceful means of 
        resolving differences on political issues, and opposition to any use or 
        threat of force by others'' and ``support of the rule of law'';
Whereas it is for the people of the island of Ireland to determine their 
        constitutional future by means of referendums as provided for by the 
        Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas the Good Friday Agreement established a power sharing and partnership 
        government in Northern Ireland, as part of an interlocking and 
        interdependent set of institutions, between Ireland North and South and 
        between the Island of Ireland and the United Kingdom;
Whereas both governments and all parties dedicated themselves ``to the 
        achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the 
        protection and vindication of the human rights of all'';
Whereas in the subsequent Stormont House Agreement, both governments agreed to 
        certain principles to reconcile the consequences of past conflict with a 
        shared future, including promoting reconciliation, upholding the rule of 
        law, acknowledging and addressing the suffering of victims and 
        survivors, and facilitating the pursuit of justice and information 
        recovery in a way that is human rights compliant, and is balanced, 
        proportionate, transparent, fair and equitable;
Whereas progress has advanced and agreements have been made through a 
        multilateral process between both governments and all parties with the 
        support of civic institutions and leaders in the United States;
Whereas the failure to honor agreements and respect commitments, rights, and law 
        is a fundamental breach of international commitments and represents an 
        undermining of the political process; and
Whereas Congress values the special relationship, bound by history and kinship, 
        with Ireland and the United Kingdom, and supports the continued 
        progress, peace, and prosperity in Ireland: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges all participants to the Good Friday Agreement and 
        subsequent agreements to honor and exercise their obligations 
        to those agreements in full;
            (2) expresses support for the ongoing search to improve 
        implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to 
        prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland and to promote 
        peace and prosperity for all communities;
            (3) recognizes that it is for the people of Ireland to 
        determine their constitutional future in referendums as 
        provided for in the Good Friday Agreement free from threat and 
        that the democratic outcome of a referendum be respected by 
        all; and
            (4) will support the cause of peace, prosperity, and 
        progress in Northern Ireland and will continue to review the 
        implementation of agreements.
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