Report of the New Ireland Forum
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- See Doc. 5501, report of the Political Affairs Committee, Doc. 5521, opinion of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development, and Doc. 5536, opinion of the Legal Affairs Committee. Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 12 March 1986.
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Considering that the Council of Europe has a duty to take a stand on problems affecting relations between its members, as well as on problems concerning respect for human rights, and that it should therefore concern itself with the situation in Northern Ireland;
2. Having examined the report of the New Ireland Forum, which enabled Ireland's four moderate nationalist parties to establish common ground with a view to solving the problems of Northern Ireland;
3. Convinced that the Forum represented an important basis for discussion and a milestone on the road towards promoting a dialogue between the states involved and the communities concerned with a view to working out a solution, and in particular that it contributed to creating the favourable climate which led to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement at Hillsborough on 15 November 1985;
4. Expressing horror at the acts of violence perpetrated by all terrorists, and deeply concerned by their strategy of exploiting and fomenting misunderstanding and tension between the communities so as to bring about a situation precluding all practical possibility of dialogue;
5. Believing that it is morally incumbent on all the non-violent political parties to intensify their dialogue with a view to agreeing on a political solution to the Northern Ireland problem ;
6. Noting that the difficult state of the Northern Ireland economy is due in particular to the climate of violence and the lack of investors' confidence as a result thereof, also noting that the Northern economy would benefit from a fiscal and monetary policy more adapted to the region's specific needs, and hoping that the implementation of the Anglo-Irish Agreement will help to create a more favourable business climate,
7. Welcomes the agreement signed by the Governments of the United Kingdom and of Ireland on 15 November 1985 which marks the will of the two parties to intensify their co-operation in the light of Article 1 which specifies that. ‘‘The two Governments:
a Affirm that any change in the status of Northern Ireland would only come about with the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland;
b Recognise that the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland is for no change in the status of Northern Ireland ;
c Declare that, if in the future a majority of the people of Northern Ireland clearly wish for and formally consent to the establishment of a united Ireland, they will introduce and support in the respective parliaments legislation to give effect to that wish'';
8. Encourages the competent authorities of the North and South of Ireland to strengthen their economic co-operation, especially in the fields of industrial development, energy, infrastructure, tourism and trade, in order to improve the economy of theisland as a whole;
9. Appeals urgently to all men and women of good will in Ireland and in the United Kingdom, and to all social and political forces, to co-operate in the dialogue with a view to realising the aims of this agreement.
