Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Good Friday Agreement was signed on 10 April 1998. It is not putting it too strongly to describe it as probably the most important political agreement of our time. It brought an end to almost three decades of conflict and is held up by many internationally as an example of how deep-rooted conflicts can be resolved. It is not perfect. After all, it was a compromise between conflicting political positions after decades of violence and generations of division. Crucial elements of the agreement have still not been implemented by the British and Irish Governments. Nonetheless, the new dispensation ushered in by the agreement has replaced the years of violence that preceded it.

Earlier initiatives failed to bring peace because they were not inclusive and they consciously failed to address the causes of conflict. Peace-building requires a different approach. Peace is not simply about ending conflict; it has to tackle the causes of conflict. Peace must, therefore, include justice. The Hume-Adams agreement established the inclusive dialogue that was essential for building peace. As Jonathan Powell, the Downing Street chief of staff at the time of the agreement, remarked in his contribution to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement last year, "The crucial point about the Good Friday Agreement negotiations was making them inclusive." In addition, the issue of equality had to be embedded in the agreement and, correctly, there are 21 references to equality in the text. That stands in sharp contrast with the Sunningdale Agreement, where it is not mentioned at all.

The promise of the agreement is for a new society in which all citizens are respected, the failed policies of the past are addressed and justice, equality and democracy are the guiding principles. It provides for the first time a peaceful democratic pathway to achieving Irish independence and unity. In his contribution to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement last December, Gerry Adams remarked that, "Very few countries get a chance to begin anew. We in Ireland, North and South, have that chance." At a time when it has been reported in the media that the British Prime Minister has told the DUP it needs to back his Brexit plan or face a united Ireland, it makes no sense not to plan or prepare for unity referendums on this island. Unity referendums are an integral part of the Good Friday Agreement and the Government has a responsibility to plan for constitutional change. On the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, we should mark and honour it by re-dedicating ourselves to ensuring it is fully implemented and that we build on its achievements and the opportunities it has unlocked.

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