Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

Agreement discussed in London

A Connolly Association-organised conference on the fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement was held in London on Thursday 24 June.

The main focus of the meeting centred on the British government's failure to deliver on the commitments it signed up to in the Agreement. Speakers at the meeting included former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds and Sinn Féin's Dodie McGuinness.

The Connolly Association said that five years on from the signing of the Agreement, the British government has permitted the Ulster Unionist party to determine the extent and pace of change in the North of Ireland while it itself has failed to demilitarise its security bases throughout the Six Counties.

"The British government has not created a police service acceptable to both communities nor a justice system that is accountable and representative, and has failed to end discrimination against nationalists in employment," it said.

"If this is allowed to continue, the Good Friday Agreement will be completely discredited, with dire consequences for the peace process."