Good Friday Agreement
Updated: 12/10/2025, 9:12:36 PM Wikipedia source
The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) or Belfast Agreement (Irish: Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta or Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste; Ulster Scots: Guid Friday Greeance or Bilfawst Greeance) is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April (Good Friday) 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, an ethnic and national conflict in Northern Ireland since the late 1960s. It was a major development in the Northern Ireland peace process of the 1990s. It is made up of the Multi-Party Agreement between most of Northern Ireland's political parties, and the British–Irish Agreement between the British and Irish governments. Northern Ireland's present devolved system of government is based on the agreement. Issues relating to sovereignty, governance, discrimination, military and paramilitary groups, justice and policing were central to the agreement. It restored self-government to Northern Ireland on the basis of "power sharing" and it included acceptance of the principle of consent, commitment to civil and political rights, cultural parity of esteem, police reform, paramilitary disarmament and early release of paramilitary prisoners, followed by demilitarisation. The agreement also created a number of institutions between Northern Ireland and Ireland ("North–South"), and between Ireland and the United Kingdom ("East–West"). The agreement was approved by voters across the island of Ireland in two referendums held on 22 May 1998. In Northern Ireland, voters were asked in the 1998 Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement referendum whether they supported the multi-party agreement. In the Republic of Ireland, voters were asked whether they would allow the state to sign the agreement and allow necessary constitutional changes (Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland) to facilitate it. The people of both jurisdictions needed to approve the agreement to give effect to it. The British–Irish Agreement came into force on 2 December 1999. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was the only major political group in Northern Ireland to oppose the Good Friday Agreement.
Infobox
Type
Multilateral agreement
Signed
10 April 1998 (1998-04-10)
Location
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Effective
2 December 1999 (1999-12-02)
Parties
Government of IrelandGovernment of the United KingdomParties in Northern Ireland
Language
English
Tables
Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement referendum, 1998
Yes
Yes
Choice
Yes
Votes
676,966
%
71.1
No
No
Choice
No
Votes
274,979
%
28.9
Valid votes
Valid votes
Choice
Valid votes
Votes
951,945
%
99.82
Invalid or blank votes
Invalid or blank votes
Choice
Invalid or blank votes
Votes
1,738
%
0.18
Total votes
Total votes
Choice
Total votes
Votes
953,683
%
100.00
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 676,966 | 71.1 |
| No | 274,979 | 28.9 |
| Valid votes | 951,945 | 99.82 |
| Invalid or blank votes | 1,738 | 0.18 |
| Total votes | 953,683 | 100.00 |
Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland referendum
Yes
Yes
Choice
Yes
Votes
1,442,583
%
94.39
No
No
Choice
No
Votes
85,748
%
5.61
Valid votes
Valid votes
Choice
Valid votes
Votes
1,528,331
%
98.90
Invalid or blank votes
Invalid or blank votes
Choice
Invalid or blank votes
Votes
17,064
%
1.10
Total votes
Total votes
Choice
Total votes
Votes
1,545,395
%
100.00
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 1,442,583 | 94.39 |
| No | 85,748 | 5.61 |
| Valid votes | 1,528,331 | 98.90 |
| Invalid or blank votes | 17,064 | 1.10 |
| Total votes | 1,545,395 | 100.00 |
· Comparison to the Sunningdale Agreement
Consent principle
Consent principle
Col 1
Consent principle
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Self-determination
Self-determination
Col 1
Self-determination
Belfast Agreement
Reform of the policing system
Reform of the policing system
Col 1
Reform of the policing system
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Prisoners
Prisoners
Col 1
Prisoners
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Bill of Rights
Bill of Rights
Col 1
Bill of Rights
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Abandonment of violence
Abandonment of violence
Col 1
Abandonment of violence
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Security co-operation
Security co-operation
Col 1
Security co-operation
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Cross-border co-operation
Cross-border co-operation
Col 1
Cross-border co-operation
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Recognition of both identities
Recognition of both identities
Col 1
Recognition of both identities
Belfast Agreement
Inter-governmental co-operation
Inter-governmental co-operation
Col 1
Inter-governmental co-operation
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Institutional role for the RoI
Institutional role for the RoI
Col 1
Institutional role for the RoI
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
Power-sharing†
Power-sharing†
Col 1
Power-sharing†
Sunningdale Agreement
()
Belfast Agreement
Inter-island co-operation
Inter-island co-operation
Col 1
Inter-island co-operation
Belfast Agreement
Devolution of powers
Devolution of powers
Col 1
Devolution of powers
Sunningdale Agreement
Belfast Agreement
| Sunningdale Agreement | Belfast Agreement | |
| Consent principle | | |
| Self-determination | | |
| Reform of the policing system | | |
| Prisoners | | |
| Bill of Rights | | |
| Abandonment of violence | | |
| Security co-operation | | |
| Cross-border co-operation | | |
| Recognition of both identities | | |
| Inter-governmental co-operation | | |
| Institutional role for the RoI | | |
| Power-sharing† | () | |
| Inter-island co-operation | | |
| Devolution of powers | | |
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