IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 555 
Expressing support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 as the blueprint 
for lasting peace in Northern Ireland. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 15, 2005 
Mr. WALSH (for himself, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. KING of New York, 
Mr. CROWLEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. 
SWEENEY, and Mr. PAYNE) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 
as the blueprint for lasting peace in Northern Ireland. 
Whereas the Good Friday Agreement, signed on April 10, 
1998, in Belfast, was endorsed in a referendum by the 
overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland and 
the Republic of Ireland; 
Whereas the parties to the Good Friday Agreement made a 
clear commitment to ‘‘partnership, equality, and mutual 
respect’’ as the basis for moving forward in pursuit of 
lasting peace in Northern Ireland; 
Whereas the parties to the Good Friday Agreement also af-
firmed their ‘‘total and absolute commitment to exclu-
•HRES 555 IH 
sively democratic and peaceful means’’ in pursuit of last-
ing peace in Northern Ireland; 
Whereas inclusive power-sharing based on these defining 
qualities is essential to the viability and advancement of 
the democratic process in Northern Ireland; 
Whereas paramilitary activity by both traditions in a demo-
cratic society undermines the trust and confidence that 
are essential in a political system based on inclusive 
power-sharing in Northern Ireland; 
Whereas on September 26, 2005, the International Inde-
pendent Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) con-
firmed the Irish Republican Army had destroyed its full 
arsenal of weapons; 
Whereas the Government of the United Kingdom and the 
Government of Ireland continue to strongly support the 
Good Friday Agreement as the way forward in the peace 
process and have committed themselves to its implemen-
tation; and 
Whereas the Government of the United States continues to 
strongly support the peace process in Northern Ireland: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That— 
(1) the House of Representatives— 
(A) reiterates its support for the Good Fri-
day Agreement as the blueprint for a lasting 
peace in Northern Ireland; 
(B) commends the Prime Minister of the 
United Kingdom Tony Blair and the Irish 
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for their leadership and
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persistence in seeing to a peaceful resolution in 
Northern Ireland; 
(C) commends the Sinn Fein leadership in 
successfully urging the Irish Republican Army 
to end its armed struggle and verifiably put its 
weapons beyond use; and 
(D) commends the leadership of Sir Hugh 
S. Orde, Chief Constable of the Police Service 
of Northern Ireland; and 
(2) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that— 
(A) all groups and organizations should 
end their involvement in paramilitary activity; 
(B) all political parties in Northern Ireland 
should— 
(i) agree to share power with all par-
ties according to the democratic mandate 
of the Good Friday Agreement; 
(ii) commit to work in good faith with 
all the institutions of the Good Friday 
Agreement, which established the Northern 
Ireland Assembly and an inclusive Execu-
tive, the North-South Ministerial Council, 
and the British-Irish Inter-Governmental
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Conference, for the benefit of all the people 
of Northern Ireland; and 
(iii) work toward participating with 
the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and 
(C) the Government of the United King-
dom and the Government of Ireland should 
work to achieve full implementation of the Good 
Friday Agreement, including devolution of po-
licing and justice as well as normalization of the 
security presence. 
Æ