III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 117 

Expressing support for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, or the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent agreements and arrangements for implementation to support peace on the island of Ireland. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 16, 2021 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. COONS, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SCHUMER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. 

CASEY, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. KAINE, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. 

REED, Mr. BROWN, and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

MARCH 24, 2021 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

MAY 17, 2021 

Committee discharged; considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended 

preamble 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the full implementation of the Good 

Friday Agreement, or the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent agreements and arrangements for implementation 

to support peace on the island of Ireland. 

Whereas, on April 10, 1998, the Government of Ireland and 

the Government of the United Kingdom signed the Good 

Friday Agreement, also known as the ‘‘Belfast Agreement’’; 


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SRES 117 ATS 

Whereas the goals of the Good Friday Agreement were to 

bring a new era of devolved government and democracy 

to Northern Ireland, end violence, and ensure peace for 

the people of the island of Ireland; 

Whereas the successful negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement stands as a historic and groundbreaking success 

that has proven critical to the decades of relative peace 

that have followed; 

Whereas the return to power sharing in 2020 after the collapse of power-sharing institutions in 2017 creates new 

opportunities for strengthening peace and reconciliation 

in Northern Ireland; 

Whereas the agreement between the United Kingdom and the 

European Union on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and the protocol to that 

agreement on Northern Ireland preserving an open border on the island of Ireland (in this preamble referred to 

as the ‘‘Northern Ireland Protocol’’), are intended to protect the peace forged under the Good Friday Agreement; 

Whereas, despite the historic progress of the Good Friday 

Agreement and subsequent agreements, including the 

Stormont House Agreement agreed to in December 2014, 

important issues remain unresolved in Northern Ireland, 

including the passage of a Bill of Rights, securing justice 

for all victims of violence, including violence by state and 

non-state actors, and reducing sectarian divisions and 

promoting reconciliation; 

Whereas section 6 of the Good Friday Agreement (‘‘Rights, 

Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity’’) recognizes 

‘‘the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance 

in relation to linguistic diversity’’ as part of ‘‘the cultural 


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SRES 117 ATS 

wealth of the island of Ireland’’ and declares the Government of the United Kingdom will seek ways to encourage 

the use of and education in the Irish language and provide opportunities for Irish language arts; 

Whereas the reintroduction of barriers, checkpoints, or personnel on the island of Ireland, also known as a ‘‘hard 

border’’, including through the invocation of Article 16 of 

the Northern Ireland Protocol, would threaten the successes of the Good Friday Agreement; 

Whereas the United States Congress played a prominent role 

in support of negotiations of the Good Friday Agreement 

and has taken a leading role in promoting peace on the 

island of Ireland more broadly; 

Whereas the United States Congress stands steadfastly committed to supporting the peaceful resolution of any and 

all political challenges in Northern Ireland; and 

Whereas the United States has a Special Relationship with 

the United Kingdom, including partnership on trade and 

economic issues: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) urges the United Kingdom and the Euro3 pean Union to support peace on the island of Ireland 

4 and the principles, objectives, and commitments of 

5 the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the 

6 ‘‘Belfast Agreement’’; 

7 (2) expresses support for the full implementa8 tion of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent 

9 agreements, including the Stormont House Agree10 ment agreed to in December 2014, as well as the 


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SRES 117 ATS 

1 protocol on Northern Ireland to the agreement on 

2 the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Eu3 ropean Union (in this resolution referred to as the 

4 ‘‘Northern Ireland Protocol’’); 

5 (3) congratulates all parties in Northern Ire6 land for the return in January 2020 to a power7 sharing agreement; 

8 (4) urges all parties in Northern Ireland to 

9 work collectively to ensure the implementation of all 

10 commitments of the Good Friday Agreement and 

11 subsequent agreements so that all of the institutions 

12 of the Good Friday Agreement can operate success13 fully and sustainably and that ongoing political chal14 lenges can be overcome; 

15 (5) calls for continuing attention and action to 

16 resolve the injustices of past violence, including vio17 lence by state and non-state actors; 

18 (6) supports the passage of a Bill of Rights for 

19 Northern Ireland and the right of all the people on 

20 the island of Ireland to self-determine their future as 

21 provided for in the Good Friday Agreement; 

22 (7) encourages renewed attention to educational 

23 and cultural efforts that will ensure the rich lan24 guage, literature, and arts of Northern Ireland en25 dure and are not diminished; 


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SRES 117 ATS 

1 (8) expresses support for the Northern Ireland 

2 Protocol and its full implementation, which ensures 

3 through international agreement that no ‘‘hard bor4 der’’ will be reintroduced on the island of Ireland; 

5 and 

6 (9) greatly values the close relationships the 

7 United States shares with both the United Kingdom 

8 and the Republic of Ireland; and 

9 (10) will take into account, as relevant, condi10 tions requiring that obligations under the Good Fri11 day Agreement be met as the United States seeks to 

12 negotiate a mutually advantageous and comprehen13 sive trade agreement between the United States and 

14 the United Kingdom. 

Æ 


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