The agreement and consent
After decades of conflict known as the Troubles, the British and Irish governments and most Northern Ireland parties reached the Agreement. Voters approved it in separate referendums North and South on 22 May 1998. It came into force on 2 December 1999. Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom unless a majority there consents to change; a united Ireland requires consent in both parts of the island.
The Agreement’s three strands
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| Strand | Relationship | Example institution |
|---|---|---|
| One | Within Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive |
| Two | North–South | North South Ministerial Council |
| Three | East–West | British-Irish Council and British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference |
Three strands
The Agreement created three connected sets of institutions: the Northern Ireland Assembly and power-sharing Executive; the North South Ministerial Council and cross-border bodies; and East–West institutions including the British-Irish Council and British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
Rights and implementation
The Agreement recognises the birthright of the people of Northern Ireland, as defined in the Agreement by reference to birthplace and parental status, to identify as Irish or British or both, and to hold British and Irish citizenship subject to applicable law. It also addresses equality, human rights, policing, decommissioning and prisoners. Implementation has required further agreements and the devolved institutions have experienced periods of suspension.
How the strands work together
The three strands address relationships within Northern Ireland, across the island and between these islands. For example, ministers from the Irish Government and Northern Ireland Executive meet in the North South Ministerial Council to cooperate on matters of mutual interest. The arrangements depend on political cooperation and have been supplemented by later agreements.
Identity, equality and rights
The Agreement recognises different national identities and requires parity of esteem and just and equal treatment. Its rights provisions sit alongside commitments about policing, justice and security. These provisions matter because political institutions alone could not address every source of conflict or distrust. Implementation involved legislation, institutional change and subsequent negotiations.
Consent in practice
The principle of consent protects the existing constitutional position unless the required democratic consent for change is given. It also recognises that people may legitimately seek different constitutional futures by peaceful and democratic means. Consent to a united Ireland must be given in both parts of the island; the Agreement does not itself set a date for such a change.
A framework with two agreements
The published settlement contains a multi-party agreement and a British-Irish Agreement between the two governments. Separate referendums endorsed the settlement on 22 May 1998. In Ireland, voters approved a constitutional amendment enabling the State to consent to the British-Irish Agreement and changing Articles 2 and 3 when it came into force. This sequence separates political agreement, public approval and legal implementation: the text was reached in April 1998, but entered into force in December 1999. Later agreements and legislation have changed how some institutions operate, so the original text is a starting point for understanding today’s arrangements.