A Historical Agreement

The Good Friday Agreement: A Landmark Peace Deal

A Historical Agreement

The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was a landmark political agreement that brought an end to decades of violent conflict in Northern Ireland. The agreement was signed on April 10, 1998, and ratified by popular vote in both Ireland and Northern Ireland on May 22, 1998.

Key Provisions

The Good Friday Agreement contained a number of key provisions, including:

• The establishment of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.
• The devolution of certain powers from the British government to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
• The creation of a North-South Ministerial Council to facilitate cooperation between the governments of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
• The establishment of a new Independent Monitoring Commission to oversee the implementation of the agreement.

The Good Friday Agreement has been widely credited with bringing an end to the decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland. However, the agreement has also been criticized for its complexity and for failing to fully address some of the underlying causes of the conflict.