Recommendation 1

HM Government Acknowledged

22. While the Government’s focus has been firmly on the immediate restoration of the devolved institutions, we do recognise the challenges the report identifies concerning the stability of the institutions. Any discussion of reforms, including on the subject of timing, should be carefully considered in this context, and should command the support of the whole community in Northern Ireland. The Agreement has been vital in enabling progress and peace, but it is also important that it continues to be a living document that always serves the interests of the people of Northern Ireland. 23. The Government also agrees with the Committee that any significant reform to the Agreement would require widespread consent. Securing local consensus in Northern Ireland depends on achieving that balance of cross-community consent, and therefore the Government’s preference is that this discussion is led by the people of Northern Ireland and their representatives. Voices from the UK or Irish Governments should not be at the forefront of any calls for reform. As a participant in Strands Two and Three, the Irish Government has a clear interest in any such review process. However, matters relating to the Strand One institutions are, and will remain, a matter for the UK Government along with the NI parties. 24. The Committee recommends that the review includes consideration of “the institutions’ ability to provide effective and stable government in Northern Ireland, with broad cross- community inclusion”. The Agreement has brought people together while recognising and respecting the differences in their beliefs and identity. The cross- community protections are a vital part of this. The inclusiveness of the Executive is a strength of the Strand One arrangements, and has been key to public support of the Agreement. The cross- community voting mechanisms are designed not to exclude voices, but to ensure that concerns are heard. Whilst the Committee identifies that reform to these cross-community protections may enable greater stability, it is important that any movement away from the current system of cross-community consent commands the support of the whole community. 25. The Committee also suggests increasing ‘the level of Prime Ministerial attendance at meetings of both the BIIGC and BIC, with relevant Cabinet Ministers attending in addition or deputising as necessary, and incorporate into the Review a comprehensive assessment of how Strand Three could be better utilised to tackle shared policy issues’. The BIIGC and BIC already meet multiple times a year and provide UK and Irish ministers with opportunities to discuss East-West cooperation across a range of policy areas, with the relevant Cabinet Ministers in attendance, along with issues of concern in relation to Northern Ireland. It is also noteworthy that the Prime Minister attended the 38th BIC in Blackpool in 2022. 26. The Committee proposes, as part of its suggested review of the Agreement institutions, a “comprehensive evaluation of the structure and working practices of the NSMC and the implementation bodies”. We remain committed to upholding all strands of the Agreement and we acknowledge their importance in maintaining political dialogue between the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government and ensuring cooperation on cross- border matters. However, we note the Agreement’s emphasis that “the functioning of the Assembly and the North/South Council are so closely interrelated that the success of each depends on that of the other”. We remain of the view that support from all sides of the community in Northern Ireland is the best basis for the effective functioning of the Strand One and Strand Two institutions. Any review of the structure and working practices of the Strand Two institutions should be led by ministers in Northern Ireland and Ireland, as befits its all-island nature. 27. The Committee recommends the establishment of a Citizen’s Assembly in Northern Ireland to ensure the voices of the people of Northern Ireland are heard. The Government recognises the deep sense of ownership of the Agreement felt by many people in Northern Ireland, and the strong interest amongst citizens in being involved in discussions around the future of the Agreement and the institutions it established. The Government also recognises the huge contribution that civic society played in creating the conditions for the Agreement to be signed, and in supporting the institutions since 1998. 28. Throughout the Anniversary year, ministers and officials spoke to civic society groups, local community groups, women’s groups, groups of young people, from all Northern Ireland’s communities including those from minority backgrounds. We heard directly community views on the functioning of the institutions and areas where communities felt they were not seeing the benefits of the peace and prosperity promised when the Agreement was signed. The Government is committed to continuing to listen to