Skip to content

Good Friday Agreement: What is it?

BBC British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern sign the Good Friday AgreementBBC
The prime minister at the time, Tony Blair, and then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern sign the Good Friday Agreement

Almost 25 years ago, on 10 April 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed.

The historic deal will be commemorated in a series of events in April, with US President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton both set to visit Northern Ireland to mark the anniversary.

The deal brought an end to 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.

Since then the agreement has touched on every aspect of life in Northern Ireland - from the political institutions, such as the power-sharing government, to Brexit and how it operates in this part of the UK.

But what is it and how did it come about?

What is the Good Friday Agreement?

The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was a political deal designed to bring an end to 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.

It was signed on 10 April 1998 and approved by public votes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Bono on stage with John Hume and David Trimble
U2's Bono endorsed Lord Trimble and SDLP leader John Hume's calls for peace ahead of the Good Friday Agreement

What were the Troubles?

Northern Ireland was created in 1921 and remained part of the UK when the rest of Ireland became an independent state.

This created a split in the population between unionists, who wish to see Northern Ireland stay within the UK, and nationalists, who want it to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

From the late 1960s, armed groups from both sides, such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), carried out bombings and shootings - and British troops were sent to Northern Ireland.

The Troubles lasted almost 30 years and cost the lives of more than 3,500 people.

What does the Good Friday Agreement say?

The Good Friday Agreement is based on the idea of co-operation between communities.

It set up a new government for Northern Ireland, representing both nationalists and unionists.

BBC News NI asks young people what their understanding of the Good Friday Agreement is

The Westminster government gave this government control over key areas such as health and education - a process known as devolution.

A new parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, was set up and sits in Stormont, in Belfast.

Other parts of the agreement are about respect for people's rights, whichever part of the community they come from.

It says:

  • Northern Ireland is part of the UK and this can change only through a referendum - if most people in Northern Ireland want it to
  • People born in Northern Ireland can have Irish or British nationality or both

As part of the agreement:

  • Armed groups agreed to dispose of their weapons
  • People who had been involved in violence were released from prison
  • The UK government agreed to aim for "normal security arrangements" - including the scaling back of the British military presence

What does the Good Friday Agreement have to do with Brexit?

After Brexit, Northern Ireland became the only part of the UK to have a land border with an EU country - the Republic of Ireland.

Checks are required on goods transported between the UK and the EU's markets.

But both sides agreed this should not happen on the Irish border, to protect the Good Friday Agreement, because it was feared the cross-border co-operation could be threatened if new checkpoints were set up.

During the Troubles, people crossing the border were subject to British Army security checks - and surveillance watchtowers were placed on hilltops.

And although the agreement does not specifically refer to the border, it does mention removing all security installations.

What has been proposed?

To keep the border clear, the UK and EU agreed the Northern Ireland Protocol. Goods are checked to ensure they comply with EU rules when they arrive in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK (England, Scotland and Wales).

Supporters of this plan, including the nationalist Sinn Féin party, say it is necessary to protect the Good Friday Agreement.

But unionist parties, including the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), say this actually undermines the agreement because it separates them from the rest of the UK.

Graphic showing how the UK government wants to alter the current arrangements for transporting goods between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland

The DUP has refused to take part in power-sharing until its concerns are addressed.

This means there has been no devolved government - set up by the Good Friday Agreement - in Northern Ireland since February 2022.

The UK government has criticised the protocol, saying it was "upsetting the balance of the Good Friday Agreement", leading to a stand-off with the EU, which described the protocol as the "one and only solution" to protecting the peace process in Northern Ireland.

In February 2023, the UK and the EU signed a new deal - the Windsor Framework - to alter the protocol, with the aim of significantly reducing the number of checks on any goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

The framework has been formally adopted by the UK and the EU but the DUP has said it will take time before coming to a decision on whether to back the deal and potentially return to power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.