[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 10, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 10, 2018

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 20th anniversary of 
the Belfast Agreement, or what has come to be known as the Good Friday 
Agreement.
  Twenty years ago today, leaders in the North of Ireland as well as 
the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom joined in one of the 
world's most important diplomatic achievements--securing an agreement 
that would lead to the end of centuries of armed conflict.
  The agreement required courage and fortitude by all those who sought 
an end to violence and a better way forward. It was unique in that it 
laid out commitments for the future as well as a path to achieving 
those goals. It allowed differing traditions to pursue their beliefs 
through politics rather than violence, and permitted those long 
excluded from the system to take up their cause in an open and 
transparent way.
  The Good Friday Agreement was an achievement by and for those in the 
Republic, the UK, and the North, but the support it enjoyed from the 
United States pushed it over the line. While it never would have 
happened without the courage of leaders like Gerry Adams and Tony 
Blair, I also believe progress would have stalled absent the courage 
and tenacity of the Irish-American community, the Clinton 
Administration, and bipartisan support from Congress.
  Today is a day to celebrate and recognize all that has been achieved: 
Belfast is no longer an active war zone, rural areas live in relative 
peace, and a centuries-long system of repression has in many ways been 
put to rest. The agreement has succeeded in so many ways that for many 
it is increasingly difficult for new generations to remember the 
severity of the conflict. In fact, many aspects of the peace-building 
process in the North have been studied and duplicated elsewhere 
throughout the world.
  But this is also a moment to acknowledge the challenges ahead that we 
must tackle in order to sustain peace and prosperity. Many aspects of 
the agreement have made important progress including the devolution of 
justice and reforms to policing. But key provisions of the agreement 
related to the Irish language remain unfulfilled. There is still no 
Bill of Rights for the North. And the serious reality of Brexit 
threatens an unnecessary return to a border that would re-divide the 
North from the Republic.
  All these challenges mean the United States cannot afford to take its 
eye off the ball. It means the Trump Administration should respond to 
bipartisan calls to move forward with the appointment of a special 
envoy to the North. It means the United States needs to engage 
diplomatically. And it means that commitments should be kept to ensure 
an ongoing peace.
  In the end, the Good Friday Agreement was an incredible achievement. 
But it was a process, not an end in itself. We must continue to do all 
that we can to sustain the hope it created for a peaceful future not 
just for those in the North but for those who believe in human rights 
and human dignity throughout the world.

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