[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2836-S2837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE GOOD FRIDAY PEACE AGREEMENT

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 64, introduced earlier today by 
myself.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 64) recognizing the historic 
     significance of the first anniversary of the Good Friday 
     Peace Agreement.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, as the Senator from Kansas has noted--and, 
Mr. President, your tie notes--today is St. Patrick's Day, and it is a 
fitting time to remember not only the Irish heritage, which so many 
Americans--over 40 million--claim, but also as equally important is the 
significant progress that has been made in this island nation over the 
last several months to finally bring peace. Tributes, of course, could 
be given to so many different people.
  Today, we were meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, as well as 
President Clinton, and the leaders from Northern Ireland, as well as 
the Republic of Ireland, celebrating their courage and the fact that 
they have received the Nobel Peace Prize for their endeavors, and 
really making certain that we double our resolve so that peace can come 
to that land.
  The Good Friday Peace Agreement that was entered into and initiated 
about a year ago outlined the political settlement to three decades of 
political and sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. It also reminds 
us, too, that there is a lot of hard work to be done to complete this 
agreement.

  Over the last 30 years, more than 3,200 people have died in Northern 
Ireland and thousands more were injured. In 1997, the British and Irish 
Governments sponsored peace talks, chaired by our former colleague, 
Senator George Mitchell, and attended by eight political parties.
  Senator Mitchell will be receiving an award this evening at the White 
House from the President and representatives of Ireland for his amazing 
role in bringing about this peace process. It is a much-deserved 
accolade.
  An agreement was reached on April 10, 1998, that includes the 
formation of a Northern Ireland Assembly, a North/South Ministerial 
Council, and a British-Irish Council. The agreement also contains 
provisions on human rights, decommissioning of weapons, policing, and 
prisoners. Voters in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland 
approved the agreement on May 22. Elections to the new assembly were 
held on June 25. Enabling legislation has been passed by the Irish and 
British Parliaments, the necessary international agreements have been 
signed, and many prisoners have been released.
  However, some contentious issues still remain before the agreement is 
implemented. In addition to former Senator George Mitchell, the Clinton 
administration and many Members of Congress and Senators have played a 
positive role in the peace process. Again, the parties have turned to 
the United States for leadership and mediation. Many party leaders from 
Northern Ireland will be at the White House this evening. Let me also 
say I attended last night a special tribute to one of our colleagues, 
Senator Ted Kennedy. The American-Ireland Fund presented him with their 
Man of the Year Award for his extraordinary contribution toward this 
peace process throughout his career in the U.S. Senate.
  This resolution which we are considering today is cosponsored by 34 
of my colleagues. It recognizes the historic first anniversary of the 
Good Friday peace agreement, encourages the parties to move forward to 
implement it, and congratulates the people of the Republic of Ireland 
and Northern Ireland for their courageous commitment to work together 
for peace. I appreciate my colleagues' support of this resolution, and 
I hope it will add another constructive measure of support for the 
meetings going on at the White House today.
  I am glad the Senate, when it enacts this resolution, will be on 
record this year to not only celebrate the legacy of Ireland and the 
legacy of St. Patrick, but to look to the future of that great country, 
a future in peace, a future as one people.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I strongly support this timely resolution 
and its tribute to the courage and vision of the political leaders of 
Northern Ireland who have given that land an extraodinary opportunity 
for peace.
  By signing the historic Good Friday Peace Agreement last April, 
leaders such as John Hume, David Trimble, Gerry Adams, and others 
launched a new era of peace and reconciliation for all the people of 
Northern Ireland. And I commend as well the indispensable contributions 
to the peace process by President Clinton, our former Senate colleague 
George Mitchell, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern of Ireland and Prime 
Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain.
  The goal of the peace process is to end thirty years of violence and 
bloodshed in Northern Ireland, reduce divisions between Unionists and 
Nationalists, and build new bridges of opportunity between the two 
communities. Through this process, they have committed themselves to 
finding the needle of peace in the haystack of violence--and they are 
finding it. When those of lesser vision urged a lesser course, the 
leaders in Northern Ireland acted boldly. They tirelessly dedicated 
themselves to the pursuit of peace, and they made difficult political 
choices to bring their noble vision of a peace agreement to reality.
  As we all know, there are still miles to go before the victory of 
lasting peace is finally won. But because of what they accomplished, 
there is better hope for the future. They have made an enormous 
difference, perhaps all the difference, for peace. Their achievement in 
the Good Friday Peace Agreement has changed the course of history for 
all the people in Northern Ireland.
  The task now facing all of us who care about this process is to build 
greater momentum for full implementation of the Agreement. There has 
been welcome recent progress. Last month, the Northern Ireland Assembly 
approved the designation of the Northern Ireland Departments and the 
group of cross-border bodies. Last week, Britain and Ireland signed 
historic treaties for closer ties. Prisoners have been released. The 
British have reduced their troop levels to the lowest point in twenty 
years. We are also heartened by the establishment of the Human Rights 
Commissions.
  Full implementation of the Agreement offers the best way forward and 
the best yardstick to judge the policies and actions of all involved. 
The goal of peace is best served by prompt action on the Agreement. 
Those who take risks for peace can be assured of timely support by 
President Clinton, Congress, and the American people.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, at this point I ask unanimous consent the 
resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider 
be laid

[[Page S2837]]

upon the table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 64) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 64

       Whereas Ireland has a long and tragic history of civil 
     conflict that has left a deep and profound legacy of 
     suffering;
       Whereas since 1969 more than 3,200 people have died and 
     thousands more have been injured as a result of political 
     violence in Northern Ireland;
       Whereas a series of efforts by the Governments of the 
     Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom to facilitate 
     peace and an announced cessation of hostilities created an 
     historic opportunity for a negotiated peace;
       Whereas in June 1996, for the first time since the 
     partition of Ireland in 1922, representatives elected from 
     political parties in Northern Ireland pledged to adhere to 
     the principles of nonviolence and commenced talks regarding 
     the future of Northern Ireland;
       Whereas the talks greatly intensified in the spring of 1998 
     under the chairmanship of former United States Senator George 
     Mitchell;
       Whereas the active participation of British Prime Minister 
     Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was critical to 
     the success of the talks;
       Whereas on Good Friday, April 10, 1998, the parties to the 
     negotiations each made honorable compromises to conclude a 
     peace agreement for Northern Ireland, which has become known 
     as the Good Friday Peace Agreement;
       Whereas on Friday, May 22, 1998, an overwhelming majority 
     of voters in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of 
     Ireland approved by referendum the Good Friday Peace 
     Agreement;
       Whereas the United States must remain involved politically 
     and economically to ensure the long-term success of the Good 
     Friday Peace Agreement; and
       Whereas April 10, 1999, marks the first anniversary of the 
     Good Friday Peace Agreement: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the historic significance of the first 
     anniversary of the Good Friday Peace Agreement;
       (2) salutes British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish 
     Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the elected representatives of the 
     political parties in Northern Ireland for creating the 
     opportunity for a negotiated peace;
       (3) commends former Senator George Mitchell for his 
     leadership on behalf of the United States in guiding the 
     parties toward peace;
       (4) congratulates the people of the Republic of Ireland and 
     Northern Ireland for their courageous commitment to work 
     together in peace;
       (5) reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation that 
     exist between the United States and the Governments of the 
     Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, which ensure that 
     the United States and those Governments will continue as 
     partners in peace; and
       (6) encourages all parties to move forward to implement the 
     Good Friday Peace Agreement.

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I have a series of items I need to go 
through and a discussion I want to have, but I understand the Senator 
from Michigan has some comments to make, so I yield the floor to the 
Senator from Michigan.

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