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British–Irish Council

British–Irish Council

The British–Irish Council (BIC) is an intergovernmental organisation that aims to improve collaboration between its members in a number of areas including transport, the environment, and energy.[1] Its membership comprises the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, the devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and the governments of the Crown dependencies of the UK: Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. England does not have a devolved administration, and as a result is not individually represented on the Council but represented as a member of the UK.[2]

The British and Irish governments, and political parties in Northern Ireland, agreed to form a Council under the British–Irish Agreement, part of the Good Friday Agreement reached in 1998. The Council was formally established on 2 December 1999, when the Agreement came into effect. The Council's stated aim is to "promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands". The BIC has a standing secretariat, located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and meets in semi-annual summit session and more frequent ministerial meetings.[3]

British-Irish Council
AbbreviationBIC
Formation2 December 1999 (1999-12-02)
TypeIntergovernmental organisation
Legal statusBritish-Irish Agreement
HeadquartersEdinburgh, Scotland1
Coordinates55°56′45″N 3°13′21″W [13]
Region served
British Isles2
Membership
Websitebritishirishcouncil.org [14]
1This is the location of the Standing. The term British Isles being a geographical term as distinct from the political. See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles [15] Secretariat of the British-Irish Council.
2Owing to a dispute over name of the archipelago, the BIC uses a number of euphemisms to avoid this term in its documents.

Membership and operation

Membership of the Council consists of the following administrations (with current heads of administrations as of September 2019):

Member AdministrationRepresentative(s)Title
GuernseyGavin St PierPresident of the Policy and Resources Committee
JerseyJohn Le FondréChief Minister
IrelandLeo Varadkar 2016.jpgLeo Varadkar, TDTaoiseach
Isle of ManHoward Quayle.jpgHoward Quayle, MHKChief Minister
Northern Ireland[4]VacantExecutive Office
ScotlandNicola Sturgeon 2017a (cropped).jpgNicola Sturgeon, MSPFirst Minister
WalesMark Drakeford - National Assembly for Wales.jpgMark Drakeford, AMFirst Minister
United KingdomBoris johnson (cropped).jpgBoris Johnson, MPPrime Minister

The nine heads of government meet at summits twice per year. Additionally, there are regular meetings that deal with specific sectors and are attended by the corresponding ministers. Representatives of members operate in accordance with whatever procedures for democratic authority and accountability are in force in their respective elected legislatures.

England, unlike the other countries of the United Kingdom, is not represented separately, as it does not have its own devolved administration. It is thus solely represented on the Council as part of the United Kingdom.

The work of the Council is financed by members through mutual agreement as required.[5] At the ninth meeting of the Council in July 2007 it was decided that with devolved government returned to Northern Ireland that an opportune time existed "to undertake a strategic review of the Council's work programmes, working methods and support arrangements." This decision included the potential for a permanent standing secretariat, which was established in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4 January 2012.

At its June 2010 summit, the Council decided to move forward on recommendations to enhance the relationship between it and the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA). The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly is made up of members from the parliaments and assemblies of the same states and regions as the members of the British–Irish Council. The Council tasked its secretariat with moving this work forward in conjunction with the BIPA's secretariat.

In addition to the above members Cornwall has been a full observer member since 2010 due to the Cornish language falling under the Council's areas of work.[6]

Work areas

The Council agrees to specific work areas for which individual members take responsibility. The Belfast Agreement suggested transport links, agriculture, environmental issues, culture, health, education and approaches to the European Union as suitable topics for early discussion. However, these work areas can be expanded or reduced as the Council decides. It is also open to the Council to make agreement on common policies. These agreements are made through consensus, although individual members may opt not to participate in implementing any of these.

The current list of work areas and the member responsible are:

Demography was adopted as a work area at the 2006 meeting of the Council. It was proposed by the Scottish Executive, who also took responsibility for it. During the 2007 meeting of the Council the Scottish Government further proposed that energy become a work area of the Council. Past work sector areas included knowledge economy, e-health / telemedicine and tourism.

Name of the Council

Initial suggestions for the council included the names Council of the British Isles[7] or Council of the Isles,[8] and the council has sometimes been known by the latter name. However, owing to sensitivities around the term British Isles, particularly in Ireland, the name British-Irish Council was agreed.

The official name of the Council is represented in minority and lesser-used languages of the council as:

Summits

DateHostHost leader(s)Location held
1st17 December 1999United KingdomTony BlairLondon[1] [16]
2nd30 November 2001IrelandBertie AhernDublin[2] [17]
3rd14 June 2002JerseyPierre HorsfallSaint Helier[3] [18]
4th22 November 2002ScotlandJack McConnellNew Lanark[4] [19]
5th28 November 2003WalesRhodri MorganSt Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff[5] [20]
6th28 November 2004GuernseyLaurie MorganCastle Cornet[6] [21]
7th20 May 2005Isle of ManDonald GellingVilla Marina, Douglas[7] [22]
8th2 June 2006United KingdomJohn PrescottExCeL Conference Centre, London[8] [23]
9th16 July 2007Northern IrelandIan Paisley
Martin McGuinness
Parliament Buildings, Belfast[9] [24]
10th14 February 2008IrelandBertie AhernRoyal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin[10] [25]
11th26 September 2008ScotlandAlex SalmondHopetoun House, South Queensferry[11] [26]
12th20 February 2009WalesRhodri MorganSWALEC Stadium, Cardiff[12] [27]
13th13 November 2009JerseyTerry Le SueurRadisson Hotel, Saint Helier[13] [28]
14th25 June 2010GuernseyLyndon TrottFermain Valley Hotel, Saint Peter Port[14] [29]
15th13 December 2010Isle of ManTony BrownSefton Hotel, Douglas[15] [30]
16th20 June 2011United KingdomNick CleggLancaster House, London[16] [31]
17th13 January 2012IrelandEnda KennyDublin Castle, Dublin[17] [32]
18th22 June 2012ScotlandAlex SalmondStirling Castle, Stirling[18] [33]
19th26 November 2012WalesCarwyn JonesCardiff Castle, Cardiff[19] [34]
20th21 June 2013Northern IrelandPeter Robinson
Martin McGuinness
Magee College, Derry~Londonderry[20] [35]
21st15 November 2013JerseyIan GorstL’Horizon Hotel, Saint Brélade[21] [36]
22nd13 June 2014GuernseyJonathan Le TocqSt. Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port[22] [37]
23rd28 November 2014Isle of ManAllan BellVilla Marina Complex, Douglas[23] [38]
24th19 June 2015IrelandEnda KennyDublin Castle, Dublin[24] [39]
25th27 November 2015United KingdomTheresa VilliersLancaster House, London[25] [40]
26th17 June 2016ScotlandNicola SturgeonCrowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow[26] [41]
27th Extraordinary22 July 2016WalesCarwyn JonesCathays Park, Cardiff[27] [42]
28th25 November 2016WalesCarwyn JonesCathays Park, Cardiff[28] [43]
29th10 November 2017JerseyIan GorstL’Horizon Hotel, St. Brelade[29] [44]
30th22 June 2018GuernseyGavin St PierSt Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port[30] [45]
31st9 November 2018Isle of ManHoward QuayleIsle of Man[31] [46]

See also

References

[1]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgJesse, Neal G., Williams, Kristen P.: Identity and institutions: conflict reduction in divided societies.Publisher SUNY Press, 2005, page 107. ISBN 0-7914-6451-2
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[2]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgSee Vernon Bogdanor, 'The British–Irish Council and Devolution', in Government and Opposition: An International Journal of Comparative Politics, volume 34, issue 3, July 1999, pp.291–295.
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[3]
Citation Linkwww.scotland.gov.uk"Scottish government website"
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[4]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgThe First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland is a diarchy. While other members of the organization are represented at Summit Meetings by their respective chief ministers, or on occasions have sent their deputies, Northern Ireland is represented by both the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. The Scottish and Welsh Deputy First Ministers have attended meetings in the past.
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[5]
Citation Linkweb.archive.orgBelfast Agreement – Strand Three, Articles 8 and 9.British-Irish Council website, Frequently Asked Questions: Who pays for the British-Irish Council? Archived 30 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[6]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgRead, David (2014). Cornish National Minority Advisory Report. Truro: Cornwall Council. p. 22.
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[7]
Citation Linkwww.irishtimes.comUDP proposes creation of British Isles council, Irish Times, May 30, 1996
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[8]
Citation Linkwww.ceelbas.ac.ukThe British-Irish Council: Nordic Lessons for the Council of the Isles, Mads Qvortrup and Robert Hazell, The Constitution Unit, October 1998
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[9]
Citation Linkwww.britishirishcouncil.org"Menystrans hembronk rag yethow teythyek, minoryta ha le-usys yw an Governans Kembrek". British-Irish Council. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[10]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.org1/1999: AN tACHT UM CHOMHAONTÚ NA BREATAINE-NA hÉIREANN, 1999
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[11]
Citation Linkwww.british-irishcouncil.org"Work of the British-Irish Council". British-Irish Council. Archived from the original on 29 January 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[12]
Citation Linkwww.britishirishcouncil.orgOfficial website
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[13]
Citation Linktools.wmflabs.org55°56′45″N 3°13′21″W
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[14]
Citation Linkbritishirishcouncil.orgbritishirishcouncil.org
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[15]
Citation Linken.m.wikipedia.orghttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[16]
Citation Linkwww.britishirishcouncil.org[1]
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[17]
Citation Linkwww.britishirishcouncil.org[2]
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[18]
Citation Linkwww.britishirishcouncil.org[3]
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[19]
Citation Linkwww.britishirishcouncil.org[4]
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM
[20]
Citation Linkwww.britishirishcouncil.org[5]
Sep 21, 2019, 2:19 AM