Anglo-Irish Agreement


Anglo-Irish Agreement

an international treaty concluded in 1985 between the Republic of Ireland and the UK. It recognized the requirement for majority consent within Northern Ireland for any change in its status, established an intergovernmental ministerial conference, serviced by a secretariat, that provided an opportunity for ministers from Ireland and the UK to discuss security, policing, prison policy, law enforcement and extradition, and set up an intergovernmental parliamentary council that permitted members of the British and Irish parliaments to meet to discuss matters of mutual interest. It moved on to such an extent that a GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT was reached, intended to establish a power-sharing devolved government in Northern Ireland. Its first meeting failed to comply with the necessary requirements for its continued function and it was suspended. For a time the Northern Ireland government was reactivated with a power-sharing executive in operation in the province. As at the time of writing it had been again suspended but renunciation of the armed struggle by the Irish Republican Army brought high hopes of final resolution.