Northern Ireland: The Peace Process
- ISBN-10
- 1437961495
- ISBN-13
- 9781437961492
- Series
- Northern Ireland
- Pages
- 17
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2011-04-10
- Author
- Kristin Archick
Description
Since 1969, over 3,500 people have died as a result of political violence in Northern Ireland, which is a part of the United Kingdom (UK). The conflict, which has its origins in the 1921 division of Ireland, has reflected a struggle between different national, cultural, and religious identities. The Protestant majority (53%) in Northern Ireland defines itself as British and largely supports continued incorporation in the UK (unionists). The Catholic minority (44%) considers itself Irish, and many Catholics desire a united Ireland (nationalists). For years, the British and Irish governments sought to facilitate a political settlement. After many ups and downs, the two governments and the Northern Ireland political parties participating in the peace talks announced an agreement on April 10, 1998. The resulting Good Friday Agreement (also known as the Belfast Agreement) called for devolved government the transfer of power from London to Belfast with a Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive Committee in which unionist and nationalist parties would share power. The agreement also contained provisions on decommissioning (disarmament), policing, human rights, UK security normalization (demilitarization), and the status of prisoners. Contents of this report: Background; Devolved Government and Recurrent Crises; Implementing Police Reforms; U.S. Policy: International Fund for Ireland; Recent Legislation. Map. This is a print on demand report.
