Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am lucky enough to share a birthday with the Good Friday Agreement. I still remember the incredible power and hope on that day. It has been a beacon globally which has been shown to impact on peace agreements in Bosnia, Sudan, South Africa, Colombia and around the world. It is a beacon not only in itself but because of how it was achieved, including the role played by women, from Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan, who won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1976 for their work in building reconciliation, to Monica McWilliams, who represented the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition in the talks, to people such as Inez McCormack and Mo Mowlam. Ireland has followed through on this in championing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the role of women in peace building.

It is important that this beacon is not dampened or quashed. Committing to the success of every arrangement must involve the assembly, the human rights and equality commitments and community co-operation. I welcome the Minister's acknowledgement of that. It is not only an important time, however, in the North it is also a hawkish moment worldwide. It is vital that we do not slip into the old politics of interests, alliances and big powers but champion the multilateral diplomacy and the complex work of peace building represented by the Good Friday Agreement over any lure of militarism. Ireland can and will, I hope, continue to lead in this area.