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Abstract

On 22 May, it received the overwhelming endorsement of the people of Ireland in referendums, North and South. For the first time, a precise mechanism has been defined - and accepted by the British Government - by which a united Ireland can be put in place, by the consent of Irish people and that alone. This involves setting up a new North-South Ministerial Council to develop consultation, co-operation and action within the island of Ireland on matters of mutual interest and establishing, as a start, at least six implementation bodies operating on a cross-border or all-island basis. The people, North and South, have endorsed the Agreement, including its constitutional provisions, in overwhelming numbers; elections to the Assembly in Northern Ireland have taken place and the Assembly has met; arrangements for reviewing prisoners' sentences are in place, the programme of prisoner releases is at an advanced stage; the Commission on Policing has, for some months now, been proceeding with its programme of work and almost all prisoners in Britain have been transferred.

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