[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12891]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 173--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT 
     OF 1998 AS THE BLUEPRINT FOR LASTING PEACE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Dodd, Mr. McCain, Mr. 
Biden, and Mr. Leahy) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 173

       Whereas in 1998, 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;
       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 and criminal activity 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 the United States Government continues to strongly 
     support the peace process in Northern Ireland; and
       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: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate 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; and
       (2) it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (A) the Irish Republican Army must immediately--
       (i) complete the process of decommissioning;
       (ii) cease to exist as a paramilitary organization; and
       (iii) end its involvement in any way in paramilitary and 
     criminal activity;
       (B) the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland 
     must--
       (i) 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 an inclusive 
     Executive and the North-South Ministerial Council, for the 
     benefit of all the people of Northern Ireland;
       (C) Sinn Fein must work in good faith with the Police 
     Service of Northern Ireland;
       (D) the leadership of Sinn Fein must insist that those 
     responsible for the murder of Robert McCartney and those who 
     were witnesses to the murder--
       (i) cooperate directly with the Police Service of Northern 
     Ireland; and
       (ii) be protected fully from any retaliation by the Irish 
     Republican Army; and
       (E) the Government of the United Kingdom must--
       (i) permanently restore the democratic institutions of 
     Northern Ireland;
       (ii) complete the process of demilitarization in Northern 
     Ireland; and
       (iii) advance equality and human rights agendas in Northern 
     Ireland.

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, Senators Collins, Dodd, McCain, Biden, 
Leahy, and I are submitting a resolution expressing support for the 
1998 Good Friday Agreement as the blueprint for lasting peace in 
Northern Ireland. All of us are hopeful that a constructive way forward 
will be found, and the way to do so is by continuing to implement the 
Good Friday Agreement.
  The 1998 agreement was endorsed in a referendum by the overwhelming 
majority of people in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. 
The parties to the Good Friday Agreement made a clear commitment to 
``partnership, equality, and mutual respect'' as the basis for moving 
forward to end the long-standing conflict and achieve lasting peace for 
all the people of Northern Ireland. The parties to the agreement 
affirmed their ``total and absolute commitment to exclusively 
democratic and peaceful means'' to achieve the goal of peace.
  Our resolution reiterates the support for the agreement as the way 
forward in Northern Ireland. It rejects the statement of Democratic 
Unionist leader Ian Paisley, who said in May that the Good Friday 
Agreement ``should be given a reasonable burial.'' Inclusive power 
sharing based on the defining qualities of the agreement is essential 
to the viability and success of the peace process.
  The resolution calls on the Irish Republican Army to immediately 
complete the process of decommissioning, cease to exist as a 
paramilitary organization, and end its involvement in any way in 
paramilitary and criminal activity. We know that discussion of the 
issue is underway within the IRA, and we all await a final, positive, 
and decisive action.
  In addition, the resolution calls on the Democratic Unionist Party in 
Northern Ireland to share power with all the other parties, according 
to the democratic mandate of the Good Friday Agreement, and commit to 
work in good faith with all the institutions established under the 
agreement, including the Executive and the North-South Ministerial 
Council, to benefit all the people of Northern Ireland.
  It calls on Sinn Fein to work in good faith with the Police Service 
of Northern Ireland.
  It also calls for justice in the case of Robert McCartney, the 
Belfast citizen who was brutally murdered there in January.
  Finally, the resolution calls on the British Government to 
permanently restore the democratic institutions of Northern Ireland and 
complete the process of demilitarization in Northern Ireland and 
advance equality and human rights in Northern Ireland.
  The U.S. Government continues to strongly support the peace process 
in Northern Ireland. The Government of the United Kingdom and the 
Government of Ireland continue to strongly support the Good Friday 
Agreement as the way forward.
  The Good Friday Agreement is the only way forward in Northern 
Ireland, and it deserves our strong support. I urge my colleagues to 
approve this resolution.



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