Dispute Resolution Committee: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

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Dispute Resolution Committee Strand One Democratic Institutions in Northern Ireland

The Assembly: 28. Disputes over legislative competence will be decided by the Courts.

Strand Three British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference

1. There will be a new British-Irish Agreement dealing with the totality of relationships. It will establish a standing British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, which will subsume both the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council and the Intergovernmental Conference established under the 1985 Agreement.

2. The Conference will bring together the British and Irish Governments to promote bilateral co-operation at all levels on all matters of mutual interest within the competence of both Governments.

3. The Conference will meet as required at Summit level (Prime Minister and Taoiseach). Otherwise, Governments will be represented by appropriate Ministers. Advisers, including police and security advisers, will attend as appropriate.

4. All decisions will be by agreement between both Governments. The Governments will make determined efforts to resolve disagreements between them. There will be no derogation from the sovereignty of either Government.

5. In recognition of the Irish Government’s special interest in Northern Ireland and of the extent to which issues of mutual concern arise in relation to Northern Ireland, there will be regular and frequent meetings of the Conference concerned with non-devolved Northern Ireland matters, on which the Irish Government may put forward views and proposals. These meetings, to be co-chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, would also deal with all-island and cross-border co-operation on non-devolved issues.

6. Co-operation within the framework of the Conference will include facilitation of co-operation in security matters. The Conference also will address, in particular, the areas of rights, justice, prisons and policing in Northern Ireland (unless and until responsibility is devolved to a Northern Ireland administration) and will intensify co-operation between the two Governments on the all-island or cross-border aspects of these matters.

7. Relevant executive members of the Northern Ireland Administration will be involved in meetings of the Conference, and in the reviews referred to in paragraph 9 below to discuss non-devolved Northern Ireland matters.

8. The Conference will be supported by officials of the British and Irish Governments, including by a standing joint Secretariat of officials dealing with non-devolved Northern Ireland matters.

9. The Conference will keep under review the workings of the new British-Irish Agreement and the machinery and institutions established under it, including a formal published review three years after the Agreement comes into effect. Representatives of the Northern Ireland Administration will be invited to express views to the Conference in this context. The Conference will contribute as appropriate to any review of the overall political agreement arising from the multi-party negotiations but will have no power to override the democratic arrangements set up by this Agreement.

Decentralization/Federalism: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

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Strand One Democratic Institutions in Northern Ireland

1. This agreement provides for a democratically elected Assembly in Northern Ireland which is inclusive in its membership, capable of exercising executive and legislative authority, and subject to safeguards to protect the rights and interests of all sides of the community.

The Assembly

2. A 108-member Assembly will be elected by PR(STV) from existing Westminster constituencies.

3. The Assembly will exercise full legislative and executive authority in respect of those matters currently within the responsibility of the six Northern Ireland Government Departments, with the possibility of taking on responsibility for other matters as detailed elsewhere in this agreement.

4. The Assembly – operating where appropriate on a cross-community basis – will be the prime source of authority in respect of all devolved responsibilities.

Safeguards

5. There will be safeguards to ensure that all sections of the community can participate and work together successfully in the operation of these institutions and that all sections of the community are protected, including:

(a) allocations of Committee Chairs, Ministers and Committee membership in proportion to party strengths;

(b) the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and any Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland supplementing it, which neither the Assembly nor public bodies can infringe, together with a Human Rights Commission;

(c) arrangements to provide that key decisions and legislation are proofed to ensure that they do not infringe the ECHR and any Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland;

(d) arrangements to ensure key decisions are taken on a cross-community basis;

(i) either parallel consent, i.e. a majority of those members present and voting, including a majority of the unionist and nationalist designations present and voting;

(ii) or a weighted majority (60%) of members present and voting, including at least 40% of each of the nationalist and unionist designations present and voting.

Key decisions requiring cross-community support will be designated in advance, including election of the Chair of the Assembly, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, standing orders and budget allocations. In other cases such decisions could be triggered by a petition of concern brought by a significant minority of Assembly members (30/108).

(e) an Equality Commission to monitor a statutory obligation to promote equality of opportunity in specified areas and parity of esteem between the two main communities, and to investigate individual complaints against public bodies.

Operation of the Assembly

6. At their first meeting, members of the Assembly will register a designation of identity – nationalist, unionist or other – for the purposes of measuring cross-community support in Assembly votes under the relevant provisions above.

7. The Chair and Deputy Chair of the Assembly will be elected on a cross-community basis, as set out in paragraph 5(d) above.

8. There will be a Committee for each of the main executive functions of the Northern Ireland Administration. The Chairs and Deputy Chairs of the Assembly Committees will be allocated proportionally, using the Hondt system. Membership of the Committees will be in broad proportion to party strengths in the Assembly to ensure that the opportunity of Committee places is available to all members.

9. The Committees will have a scrutiny, policy development and consultation role with respect to the Department with which each is associated, and will have a role in initiation of legislation. They will have the power to:

  • consider and advise on Departmental budgets and Annual Plans in the context of the overall budget allocation;

  • approve relevant secondary legislation and take the Committee stage of relevant primary legislation;

  • call for persons and papers;

  • initiate enquiries and make reports;

  • consider and advise on matters brought to the Committee by its Minister.

10. Standing Committees other than Departmental Committees may be established as may be required from time to time.

11. The Assembly may appoint a special Committee to examine and report on whether a measure or proposal for legislation is in conformity with equality requirements, including the ECHR/Bill of Rights. The Committee shall have the power to call people and papers to assist in its consideration of the matter. The Assembly shall then consider the report of the Committee and can determine the matter in accordance with the cross-community consent procedure.

12. The above special procedure shall be followed when requested by the Executive Committee, or by the relevant Departmental Committee, voting on a cross-community basis.

13. When there is a petition of concern as in 5(d) above, the Assembly shall vote to determine whether the measure may proceed without reference to this special procedure. If this fails to achieve support on a cross-community basis, as in 5(d)(i) above, the special procedure shall be followed.

Executive Authority

14. Executive authority to be discharged on behalf of the Assembly by a First Minister and Deputy First Minister and up to ten Ministers with Departmental responsibilities.

15. The First Minister and Deputy First Minister shall be jointly elected into office by the Assembly voting on a cross-community basis, according to 5(d)(i) above.

16. Following the election of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, the posts of Ministers will be allocated to parties on the basis of the Hondt system by reference to the number of seats each party has in the Assembly.

17. The Ministers will constitute an Executive Committee, which will be convened, and presided over, by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

18. The duties of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister will include, inter alia, dealing with and coordinating the work of the Executive Committee and the response of the Northern Ireland administration to external relationships.

19. The Executive Committee will provide a forum for the discussion of, and agreement on, issues which cut across the responsibilities of two or more Ministers, for prioritising executive and legislative proposals and for recommending a common position where necessary (e.g. in dealing with external relationships).

20. The Executive Committee will seek to agree each year, and review as necessary, a programme incorporating an agreed budget linked to policies and programmes, subject to approval by the Assembly, after scrutiny in Assembly Committees, on a cross-community basis.

21. A party may decline the opportunity to nominate a person to serve as a Minister or may subsequently change its nominee.

22. All the Northern Ireland Departments will be headed by a Minister. All Ministers will liaise regularly with their respective Committee.

23. As a condition of appointment, Ministers, including the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, will affirm the terms of a Pledge of Office (Annex A) undertaking to discharge effectively and in good faith all the responsibilities attaching to their office.

24. Ministers will have full executive authority in their respective areas of responsibility, within any broad programme agreed by the Executive Committee and endorsed by the Assembly as a whole.

25. An individual may be removed from office following a decision of the Assembly taken on a cross-community basis, if (s)he loses the confidence of the Assembly, voting on a cross-community basis, for failure to meet his or her responsibilities including, inter alia, those set out in the Pledge of Office. Those who hold office should use only democratic, non-violent means, and those who do not should be excluded or removed from office under these provisions.

Legislation

26. The Assembly will have authority to pass primary legislation for Northern Ireland in devolved areas, subject to:

(a) the ECHR and any Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland supplementing it which, if the courts found to be breached, would render the relevant legislation null and void;

(b) decisions by simple majority of members voting, except when decision on a cross-community basis is required;

(c) detailed scrutiny and approval in the relevant Departmental Committee;

(d) mechanisms, based on arrangements proposed for the Scottish Parliament, to ensure suitable co-ordination, and avoid disputes, between the Assembly and the Westminster Parliament;

(e) option of the Assembly seeking to include Northern Ireland provisions in United Kingdom-wide legislation in the Westminster Parliament, especially on devolved issues where parity is normally maintained (e.g. social security, company law).

27. The Assembly will have authority to legislate in reserved areas with the approval of the Secretary of State and subject to Parliamentary control.

28. Disputes over legislative competence will be decided by the Courts.

29. Legislation could be initiated by an individual, a Committee or a Minister.

Relations with other institutions

30. Arrangements to represent the Assembly as a whole, at Summit level and in dealings with other institutions, will be in accordance with paragraph 18, and will be such as to ensure cross-community involvement.

31. Terms will be agreed between appropriate Assembly representatives and the Government of the United Kingdom to ensure effective coordination and input by Ministers to national policy-making, including on EU issues.

32. Role of Secretary of State:

(a) to remain responsible for NIO matters not devolved to the Assembly, subject to regular consultation with the Assembly and Ministers;

(b) to approve and lay before the Westminster Parliament any Assembly legislation on reserved matters;

(c) to represent Northern Ireland interests in the United Kingdom Cabinet;

(d) to have the right to attend the Assembly at their invitation.

33. The Westminster Parliament (whose power to make legislation for Northern Ireland would remain unaffected) will:

(a) legislate for non-devolved issues, other than where the Assembly legislates with the approval of the Secretary of State and subject to the control of Parliament;

(b) to legislate as necessary to ensure the United Kingdom’s international obligations are met in respect of Northern Ireland;

(c) scrutinise, including through the Northern Ireland Grand and Select Committees, the responsibilities of the Secretary of State.

Inter-ethnic/State Relations: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

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Strand One: Democratic Institutions in Northern Ireland

Safeguards

5. There will be safeguards to ensure that all sections of the community can participate and work together successfully in the operation of these institutions and that all sections of the community are protected, including:

(a) allocations of Committee Chairs, Ministers and Committee membership in proportion to party strengths;

(b) the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and any Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland supplementing it, which neither the Assembly nor public bodies can infringe, together with a Human Rights Commission;

(c) arrangements to provide that key decisions and legislation are proofed to ensure that they do not infringe the ECHR and any Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland;

(d) arrangements to ensure key decisions are taken on a cross-community basis;

(i) either parallel consent, i.e. a majority of those members present and voting, including a majority of the unionist and nationalist designations present and voting;

(ii) or a weighted majority (60%) of members present and voting, including at least 40% of each of the nationalist and unionist designations present and voting.

Key decisions requiring cross-community support will be designated in advance, including election of the Chair of the Assembly, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, standing orders and budget allocations. In other cases such decisions could be triggered by a petition

of concern brought by a significant minority of Assembly members (30/108).

(e) an Equality Commission to monitor a statutory obligation to promote equality of opportunity in specified areas and parity of esteem between the two main communities, and to investigate individual complaints against public bodies.

Executive Authority

14. Executive authority to be discharged on behalf of the Assembly by a First Minister and Deputy First Minister and up to ten Ministers with Departmental responsibilities.

15. The First Minister and Deputy First Minister shall be jointly elected into office by the Assembly voting on a cross-community basis, according to 5(d)(i) above.

16. Following the election of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, the posts of Ministers will be allocated to parties on the basis of the d’Hondt system by reference to the number of seats each party has in the Assembly.

Legislation

(b) decisions by simple majority of members voting, except when decision on a cross-community basis is required;

Relations with other institutions

34. A consultative Civic Forum will be established. It will comprise representatives of the business, trade union and voluntary sectors, and such other sectors as agreed by the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister. It will act as a consultative mechanism on social, economic and cultural issues. The First Minister and the Deputy First Minister will by

agreement provide administrative support for the Civic Forum and establish guidelines for the selection of representatives to the Civic Forum.

(Note: Along with safeguards and relations with other institutions designed to promote cross-community relationships, the Good Friday Agreement also provided for the establishment of North/South Ministrial Council to promote relationships between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.)

Constitutional Reform: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

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Constitutional Issues: Annex A and B:

1. The participants endorse the commitment made by the British and Irish Governments that, in a new British-Irish Agreement replacing the Anglo-Irish Agreement, they will:

(i) recognise the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland;

(ii) recognise that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts respectively and without external impediment, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given, North and South, to bring about a united Ireland, if that is their wish, accepting that this right must be achieved and exercised with and subject to the agreement and consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland;

(iii) acknowledge that while a substantial section of the people in Northern Ireland share the legitimate wish of a majority of the people of the island of Ireland for a united Ireland, the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and, accordingly, that Northern Ireland’s status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people;

(iv) affirm that if, in the future, the people of the island of Ireland exercise their right of self-determination on the basis set out in sections (i) and (ii) above to bring about a united Ireland, it will be a binding obligation on both Governments to introduce and support in their respective Parliaments legislation to give effect to that wish;

(v) affirm that whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, the power of the sovereign government with jurisdiction there shall be exercised with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions and shall be founded on the principles of full respect for, and equality of, civil, political, social and cultural rights, of freedom from discrimination for all citizens, and of parity of esteem and of just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos, and aspirations of both communities;

(vi) recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland.

2. The participants also note that the two Governments have accordingly undertaken in the context of this comprehensive political agreement, to propose and support changes in, respectively, the Constitution of Ireland and in British legislation relating to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland.

Annex B

Irish Government Draft Legislation to Amend The Constitution

Add to Article 29 the following sections:

7.

1. The State may consent to be bound by the British-Irish Agreement done at Belfast on the day of 1998, hereinafter called the Agreement.

1. Any institution established by or under the Agreement may exercise the powers and functions thereby conferred on it in respect of all or any part of the island of Ireland notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution conferring a like power or function on any person or any organ of State appointed under or created or established by or under this Constitution. Any power or function conferred on such an institution in relation to the settlement or resolution of disputes or controversies may be in addition to or in substitution for any like power or function conferred by this Constitution on any such person or organ of State as aforesaid.

1. If the Government declare that the State has become obliged, pursuant to the Agreement, to give effect to the amendment of this Constitution referred to therein, then, notwithstanding Article 46 hereof, this Constitution shall be amended as follows:

i. the following Articles shall be substituted for Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish text:
“2. [Irish text to be inserted here]

3. [Irish text to be inserted here]”

ii. the following Articles shall be substituted for Articles 2 and 3 of the

English text:
“Article 2

It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish

nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage.

Article 3

1. It is the firm will of the Irish nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution.

2. Institutions with executive powers and functions that are shared between those jurisdictions may be established by their respective responsible authorities for stated purposes and may exercise powers and functions in respect of all or any part of the island.”

iii. the following section shall be added to the Irish text of this Article:

“8. [Irish text to be inserted here]”

and

iv. the following section shall be added to the English text of this Article:

“8. The State may exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction in accordance with

the generally recognised principles of international law.”

4. If a declaration under this section is made, this subsection and subsection 3, other than the amendment of this Constitution effected thereby, and subsection 5 of this section shall be omitted from every official text of this Constitution published thereafter, but notwithstanding

such omission this section shall continue to have the force of law.

5. If such a declaration is not made within twelve months of this section being added to this Constitution or such longer period as may be provided for by law, this section shall cease to have effect and shall be omitted from every official text of this Constitution published thereafter.

Powersharing Transitional Government: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

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The Assembly

4. The Assembly – operating where appropriate on a cross-community basis – will be the prime source of authority in respect of all devolved responsibilities.

Safeguards

5. There will be safeguards to ensure that all sections of the community can participate and work together successfully in the operation of these institutions and that all sections of the community are protected, including:

(a) allocations of Committee Chairs, Ministers and Committee membership in proportion to party strengths;

(d) arrangements to ensure key decisions are taken on a cross-community basis;

(i) either parallel consent, i.e. a majority of those members present and voting, including a majority of the unionist and nationalist designations present and voting;

(ii) or a weighted majority (60%) of members present and voting, including at least 40% of each of the nationalist and unionist designations present and voting.

Key decisions requiring cross-community support will be designated in advance, including election of the Chair of the Assembly, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, standing orders and budget allocations. In other cases such decisions could be triggered by a petition of concern brought by a significant minority of Assembly members (30/108).

Executive Authority

14. Executive authority to be discharged on behalf of the Assembly by a First Minister and Deputy First Minister and up to ten Ministers with Departmental responsibilities.

15. The First Minister and Deputy First Minister shall be jointly elected into office by the Assembly voting on a cross-community basis, according to 5(d)(i) above.

16. Following the election of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, the posts of Ministers will be allocated to parties on the basis of the Hondt system by reference to the number of seats each party has in the Assembly.

Legislation

(b) decisions by simple majority of members voting, except when decision on a cross-community basis is required;

Cease Fire: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

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Annex B: Review of the Criminal Justice System

Prisoners

2. Prisoners affiliated to organisations which have not established or are not maintaining a complete and unequivocal ceasefire will not benefit from the arrangements. The situation in this regard will be kept under review.

(Note: the GFA does not elaborate on ceasefire provision. This however does not mean that ceasefire was not the part of the accord. Before beginning of the peace negotiation that lead to the accord, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced a ceasefire on 19 July 19971. IRA’s commitment to ceasefire was crucial to begin peace talks. And as soon as the moderate unionist leader Mr David Trimble, who was the leader of the biggest protestant party in Northern Ireland, was persuaded by United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Mr. Tony Blair not to vote against the Government’s proposals on weapons decommissioning at the all-party talks on Northern Ireland, the negotiation process proceeded2.)

  • 1. “Trimble Holds Key to Lasting Peace,” Sunday Mail, July 20, 1997.

  • 2. “Give ceasefire a chance: Blair,” Sydney Morning Herald, July 22, 1997.

Donor Support: Agreement Between the Republic Niger Government and the ORA

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1995 PEACE AGREEMENT

Clause 22

In order to reinforce and to enlarge to the zone affected by the conflict activities already undertaken within the framework of urgency assistance concerning food, health and schooling foreseen in the Peace Agreement of Ouagadougou, October 9 1994, the Government, together with the ORA and concerned populations, engages to establish, on the basis of available statistics on displaced persons and of those already at home, the real needs of urgent help to be introduced in a global programme. This programme will be submitted by the Government to donors at a timely moment.

Clause 23

The Government will organize a round-table conference including countries with a friendly attitude to Niger and International Organisations for the financing of the economic and social programme of the present Agreement.

Economic and Social Development: Agreement Between the Republic Niger Government and the ORA

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1995 PEACE AGREEMENT

Section V. Economic, Social and Cultural Development

Clause 18

Within the framework of the application of Clause 8 of the present Agreement, the Government will take all necessary measures, in the fields foreseen by the law, in order to provide the “collectivités territoriales” with the free managing of their affaires in the activities of economic, social and cultural development of regional or local interest.

Clause 19

In order to allow the freely consented return and the reinsertion of displaced

persons, the Government, together with the ORA, encourages friendly countries and

international humanitarian organisations concerned to establish on one hand reception and

direction points, where the stay will be as brief as possible, and on the other hand reinsertion sites in which adequate social and economic activities will be developed.

Clause 20

In order to reinforce and to enlarge to the zone affected by the conflict activities already undertaken within the framework of urgency assistance concerning food,

health and schooling foreseen in the Peace Agreement of Ouagadougou, October 9 1994, the Government, together with the ORA and concerned populations, engages to establish, on the basis of available statistics on displaced persons and of those already at home, the real needs of urgent help to be introduced in a global programme. This programme will be submitted by the Government to donors at a timely moment.

Clause 21

Within the framework of the programme of social insertion of the demobilized elements of the ORA, the Government will take steps in view of their recruitment in the projects of high intensity of labour in the zone affected by the conflict.

Clause 22

Without effect on the stipulations of Clause 8 of the present Agreement, the Government engages to take all necessary steps in order to continue and accelerate the efforts of investment in the pastoral zone through the use of new strategies of development aiming at:

A. Within the field of rural development

1. Breeding

A policy of a profitable breeding taking into account:

– animal health

– reconstruction of the live stock

– commercialisation of the cattle and products derived from breeding

– introduction of transformation and conservation of products

– better managing of the pasture land

– adjustment of water-holes and multiplication of pastoral wells

– constitution of cereal banks.

2. Agriculture

A development of the agricultural potentialities contained in the regions guaranteeing their

exploitation the whole year around and a local transformation of the products by:

– technical assistance given to the farmers

– support of help to the “collectivités”

– commercialisation of agricultural products

– combating noxious insects

– creation of units of transformation and conservation of agricultural products

– exploiting of underground water sources

– strengthening of market gardening potentialities through the use of hydro-agricultural

perimeters.

B. Within the field of mining and industries

The mines will remain a national treasure the benefits of which should make possible the

development of all the regions. Therefore it is necessary to:

– diversify the mining production.

– develop the local raw material through industrialization.

– favour the development of the regional economy through the establishment for the whole

industrial and mining sector of measures encouraging the creation of jobs in favour of the

local population which will benefit from a priority in recruitment.

– transfer to “collectivités territoriales” one part of national resources generated by the mining and industrial exploitation. The rate and the forms of this transfer of resources will be determined by the law on decentralisation.

C. Within the field of social and cultural development

1. Health

– rehabilitation of already existing infrastructures

– reconstruction and equipment of new health centres

– multiplication of drugstores and medicine stocks

– staff training

– establishing of mobile health teams in the nomad zones

2. Education

– adapt the school programmes to social and cultural realities of the regions

– promote national languages and writing, especially Tamachek and Tifinar – consider creating institutions of higher education in the regions in the North

– rehabilitate, construct and multiply schools and school canteens.

– train the teaching staff

– employ, as far as possible, in the regions, a teaching staff coming from these regions in order to guarantee a better consciousness raising among the population on educational problems in order to solve the problems inherent in school recruitment.

– increase the rate of schooling.

3. Culture

– creation of cultural centres and regional museums promoting the image of culture, history

and oral traditions

– multiplying of cultural and sportive exchanges between regions and with other countries

D. In the field of service

1. Transports and communications

– maintenance, management and construction of roads, airstrips, airports, bus terminals

– opening and development of air traffic services in order to increase accessibility of isolated regions

– relaxation of police controls and formalities

– creation, if possible, of regional radio and television stations broadcasting in national

languages and relaying the main national programmes

– establishment of means of communication SSB (Single Sideband Modulation) in the most

remote centres

2. Tourism, Hotel trade and Handicraft

– consider the suppression of visas for people coming from the European Union

– set up direct charter flights

– relaxing the formalities of reception and circulation of persons

– rehabilitate and promote hotels units

– take complementary measures for the boosting of the sectors of tourism, hotel trade and

handicraft generating proceeds, foreign currency and jobs.

3. Public administration

Eager to have an active participation of all the components of the Nigerien population in the running of the State affairs and in the framework of consolidation and peace, the Government engages to integrate demobilized elements from the ORA at all levels of the Public administration according to the criteria of competence and to the needs of the State.

The same thing will be valid for political functions.

E. The list of actions enumerated above is not restrictive.

Media Reform: Agreement Between the Republic Niger Government and the ORA

Written by

1995 PEACE AGREEMENT

Section V. Economic, Social and Cultural Development

Clause 22

D. In the field of service

1. Transports and communications

– creation, if possible, of regional radio and television stations broadcasting in national

languages and relaying the main national programmes.