NI: UCL project to examine perspectives on the Good Friday Agreement

NI: UCL project to examine perspectives on the Good Friday Agreement

A new project examining perspectives on the Good Friday Agreement has been launched by the UCL Constitution Unit.

The project, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, will be led by Dr Alan Renwick, the unit’s deputy director who previously chaired the Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland, which published its final report in May.

It will examine the varying and complex understandings of what the Agreement means, how it has been implemented, why aspects of its implementation have stalled, and how the Agreement should work in the future.

The project will also consider the various political actors and communities within Northern Ireland and how this has impacted the implementation and interpretation of the Agreement.

Through interviews, focus groups, and documentary analysis, the team will investigate the views of political parties, relevant groups, a wide range of experts, and the general public.

However, the project will be run on a strictly apolitical basis.

Dr Renwick said: “Having recently released the Final Report of the Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland, the Constitution Unit is keen to continue participating in conversations around Northern Ireland’s governance.

“We hope to engage all constitutional perspectives and give a voice to the various understandings that exist on how the Agreement should shape Northern Ireland’s future.”

Dr Etain Tannam, associate professor of international peace studies at Trinity College Dublin, a member of the project’s advisory panel, said: “As the Agreement approaches its 25th anniversary in 2023, there is a need for academia, civil society, and the wider public to renew their engagement with it.

“There are distinct interpretations of the Agreement, but they can co-exist together productively so long as there is respect for different interpretations and a commitment to the Agreement’s robust implementation.

“This project aims to examine these different perspectives and interpretations of the Agreement and examine methods of revitalising its implementation.”

Share icon
Share this article: