Clinton Op-Ed on Northern Ireland Peace Process
Following is an op-ed article by President Clinton on the Northern
Ireland peace process, written for The Belfast Telegraph for
publication October 19. No republication restrictions.
Why the Good Friday Agreement is Working
By President William J. Clinton
In his first Inaugural Address, President Abraham Lincoln called upon
Americans to heed "the better angels of our nature" to dissuade them
from embarking on a long and bloody civil war.
Just over two years ago, the leaders and people of Northern Ireland
summoned the better angels of their nature to negotiate, sign, and
approve the Good Friday Agreement in a courageous bid to end nearly 30
years of strife and agony. The Agreement reflected more than the
common humanity that unites the people of Northern Ireland, no matter
their faith. It reflected their self-interest -- their heartfelt
conviction that the sacrifices and compromises required for peace
would be far easier to bear than the burden of more violence and
bloodshed.
George Mitchell said at the time that, as difficult as the Agreement
was to negotiate, implementing it would prove more difficult still --
and he was right. Two-and-one-half years later, the Agreement is
working, but it is straining under intense criticism. I know that many
in the unionist community feel deeply uncomfortable with changes
relating to security and have concerns that the right to express
British identity is being attacked. Nationalists and republicans have
voiced concerns of their own about prospects for full equality and
implementation of all aspects of the Agreement.
I believe the Good Friday Agreement is fully capable of addressing
these concerns. Now is the time to reaffirm its core principles.
-The principle of consent: no decision on changing the constitutional
connection linking Northern Ireland with the United Kingdom will be
made without support from a majority of Northern Ireland voters. This
expresses respect for British sovereignty in Northern Ireland and also
for the legitimate wish of Irish people to pursue a united Ireland.
-Self-government that is democratic, inclusive, and whose participants
use exclusively peaceful means to accomplish their aims. The main
institutions of government, an elected Assembly and a power-sharing
Executive, contain safeguards for protecting minority interests and
for excluding those who use or support violence.
-Strict protection of individual human and civil rights. On October 2,
Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole incorporated the
European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law. The Northern
Ireland Human Rights Commission is now consulting on a Bill of Rights
for Northern Ireland.
The people of Northern Ireland support these principles. And for all
of their disagreements, so do Northern Ireland's politicians.
The reason, I believe, is simple: Devolved government based on the
Stormont Assembly and Executive is working. Even politicians from
parties professing to be "anti-Agreement" are participating actively,
delivering their constituents democratic and accountable regional
government. For the first time in 30 years, Northern Ireland's
politicians are producing their own budget and Programme for
Government.
This means that problems in the areas of agriculture, health, the
environment and education, to name a few, are now the responsibility
of local ministers who must answer to local voters. Some may be
uncomfortable with power-sharing, but most agree that it is better
than being powerless. And foreign investors are taking note of the
prospects opened up by these developments -- for example, the 900-job
call centre that a Denver-based company recently announced will open
in north Belfast.
What's more, the Agreement has enabled government ministers from
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to work together to
benefit people throughout the island, by developing co-operation in
such areas as trade, food safety and EU programmes. Sessions of the
North-South Ministerial Council focus on concrete results rather than
constitutional debate.
Change this profound is never easy. I applaud the people of Northern
Ireland for working to set aside old animosities and to accept even
the most difficult elements of the Good Friday Agreement, such as
prisoner releases. Yet tough challenges remain, such as adapting the
police force in Northern Ireland to earn the confidence and support of
all the people, and resolving the issue of paramilitary weapons.
The Agreement offers a chance for a fresh start on policing. It
established an independent commission chaired by Chris Patten with a
mandate to make recommendations in this highly sensitive area. Some of
the Patten Report's proposed changes have distressed those who honour
the many sacrifices made by police officers in Northern Ireland.
I urge everyone to reflect on Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan's
statement that the police stand ready for the challenges proposed by
Patten and that it is his "fervent hope that those in all our
communities whom we exist to serve stand similarly ready for change."
Everyone in Northern Ireland, including the police, deserve the chance
to prove themselves anew under the Agreement. That said, for police
reform to work, the entire community must take ownership of the
process, taking not just the pain of the past, but more importantly
the demands of the future, into account. The opportunity to achieve a
police service that is broadly acceptable and fully accountable is too
important and too close at hand to be lost to political brinkmanship.
On the question of paramilitary organisations, the Good Friday
Agreement is both clear and unequivocal -- in it, all parties commit
themselves to the total disarmament of all such groups. The IRA's
decision to allow independent inspectors to view arms dumps last June
and to verify that the weapons are not moved or used represented
unprecedented progress. The IRA also committed itself to resume
contacts with the Independent International Commission on
Decommissioning and to put weapons "completely and verifiably beyond
use" in the context of full implementation of the Agreement.
Republican leaders say these commitments will be met. I welcome that,
and look forward to further, timely progress in this vital area. I
urge loyalist paramilitaries to make similar undertakings, even as
courageous political leaders work to bring an end to the dangerous
feuding under way in that community. All sides must work together to
renew momentum toward the goal spelled out in the Agreement: total
decommissioning of all paramilitary weapons.
But perhaps harder still will be what George Mitchell called the
"decommissioning of mind-sets". The confidence that is the foundation
of peace is all too easily eroded by distrust, defensiveness, and
fear. It is almost always easier to fall back on old habits than it is
to fulfil new hopes.
In making decisions that will determine Northern Ireland's future,
political leaders must pause and consider whether their actions will
advance the cause of durable peace and genuine reconciliation. Every
political leader is subject to short-term political pressures. But in
Northern Ireland, I believe it is critical for all to consider how
their actions in the heat of the moment today will be felt a year, a
decade, a generation from now. It is human nature to take the good for
granted and to focus on our frustrations, giving in to those
frustrations would be a tragic mistake, with terrible consequences.
On my last visit to Northern Ireland in 1998, I met with the families
of the victims and the survivors of the Omagh bombing. That visit was
a vivid reminder of the alternative to peace and it made clear the
determination of the people of Northern Ireland to overcome the sorrow
and bitterness of the last 30 years and build a better future.
During the recently completed inquest into the Omagh bombing, that
determination to build was still on display -- as was the profound
frustration that the dissidents responsible for the attack have not
been brought to justice.
For a durable peace to be achieved, both of these emotions must be
harnessed effectively. And there should be no mistake about it: US law
enforcement will aggressively target any effort from whatever quarter
to undermine the peace process through illegal activities from the
United States.
The Good Friday Agreement represents the very best hope for lasting
peace in Northern Ireland. Fully implementing, it will make Northern
Ireland a beacon of hope for those who struggle for reconciliation and
peace in every corner of the world -- from the Balkans to the Middle
East.
I hope to be able to visit Northern Ireland soon, and to confirm that
the will of the people is being heeded.
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