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Article: Impact of arms decommissioning on the Northern Ireland peace process.
- Article from:
- Canadian Speeches
- Article date:
- May 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Canadian Speeches. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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It is 5-1/2 years since the current process to end the conflict in Northern Ireland started, and a little over two years since the Good Friday Agreement set out a blueprint for a lasting peace. The euphoria which greeted that agreement has now been replaced by a concern that what it achieved may be lost, and what it promised might never be delivered. A principal reason for the delay is the issue of decommissioning of paramilitary arms.
In this address I will describe what part decommissioning has played in the peace process, and why it continues to delay the achievement of an inclusive government in Northern Ireland with devolved powers and the end of political ...