Post by earl on Apr 23, 2008 16:57:24 GMT
While the peace agreement in Northern Ireland might not be seen as a Commonwealth issue, it's certainly of interest to Commonwealth countries. To that end, the organizers of Royal Commonwealth Society's annual humanitarian gala have asked retired general John de Chastelain to speak about his continuing role in the decommissioning of arms in Northern Ireland. His talk comes about three weeks after the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday (or Belfast) Agreement.
In an interview in advance of his speech, Mr. de Chastelain said the big remaining issue for him is the decommissioning of arms and he'll address that in Friday's talk.
"The IRA completed it in 2005 but the two major loyalist groups -- the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) and the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) -- haven't started yet," he said. "That remains an issue because the whole concept of the agreement was that arms would be taken out of the process and even though both the UVF and the UDA are in ceasefire and their arms aren't being used for paramilitary purposes, the fact remains that they still have to be taken out of the issue and that hasn't happened yet."
In addition, he's concerned about Republican paramilitary groups that are active and that never have declared ceasefires or accepted the agreement. They include the Irish National Liberation Army, the Continuity Irish Republican Army and the Real Irish Republican Army.
Finally, he'll speak about one aspect of the Good Friday Agreement that hasn't been enacted -- the devolution of justice from Britain to Northern Ireland.
"Almost all other aspects of governing the province have been devolved from Westminster to Belfast but not the devolution of justice," Mr. de Chastelain said.
Mr. de Chastelain first got involved in the Irish peace negotiations after being Canada's chief of defence staff, a job he was due to leave in December 1995. But that October, he was asked to take part in a two-month study group on paramilitary arms. He initially said no because he figured he would appear biased as he was British, Protestant, and his parents were both involved in espionage in Britain during the war. But when John Major (then British prime minister) and John Bruton (then Irish prime minister) came calling, and confirmed that the Irish agreed with his appointment, he couldn't say no. The group, consisting of an American and a Finn, was given a two-month mandate. And yet, 13 years later, Mr. de Chastelain is still involved, now as chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in Northern Ireland.
In an interview in advance of his speech, Mr. de Chastelain said the big remaining issue for him is the decommissioning of arms and he'll address that in Friday's talk.
"The IRA completed it in 2005 but the two major loyalist groups -- the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) and the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) -- haven't started yet," he said. "That remains an issue because the whole concept of the agreement was that arms would be taken out of the process and even though both the UVF and the UDA are in ceasefire and their arms aren't being used for paramilitary purposes, the fact remains that they still have to be taken out of the issue and that hasn't happened yet."
In addition, he's concerned about Republican paramilitary groups that are active and that never have declared ceasefires or accepted the agreement. They include the Irish National Liberation Army, the Continuity Irish Republican Army and the Real Irish Republican Army.
Finally, he'll speak about one aspect of the Good Friday Agreement that hasn't been enacted -- the devolution of justice from Britain to Northern Ireland.
"Almost all other aspects of governing the province have been devolved from Westminster to Belfast but not the devolution of justice," Mr. de Chastelain said.
Mr. de Chastelain first got involved in the Irish peace negotiations after being Canada's chief of defence staff, a job he was due to leave in December 1995. But that October, he was asked to take part in a two-month study group on paramilitary arms. He initially said no because he figured he would appear biased as he was British, Protestant, and his parents were both involved in espionage in Britain during the war. But when John Major (then British prime minister) and John Bruton (then Irish prime minister) came calling, and confirmed that the Irish agreed with his appointment, he couldn't say no. The group, consisting of an American and a Finn, was given a two-month mandate. And yet, 13 years later, Mr. de Chastelain is still involved, now as chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in Northern Ireland.