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British–Irish Council

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Intergovernmental organisation

British–Irish Council
Comhairle na Breataine–na hÉireann
Logo of the British–Irish Council
Heads of government meet in Edinburgh (Scotland) for the 42nd council summit
AbbreviationBIC
Formation2 December 1999; 25 years ago (1999-12-02)
TypeIntergovernmental organisation
HeadquartersEdinburgh, Scotland (secretariat)
Coordinates55°56′45″N3°13′21″W / 55.94584°N 3.22262°W /55.94584; -3.22262
Region served
British Isles
Membership
WebsiteOfficial website
Good Friday Agreement
Strand 1
Strand 2
Strand 3
Additional bodies

TheBritish–Irish Council (BIC;Irish:Comhairle na Breataine–na hÉireann) is anintergovernmental organisation that aims to improve collaboration between its members in a number of areas including transport, the environment and energy.[1] Its membership comprisesIreland, theUnited Kingdom, thedevolved governments ofNorthern Ireland,Scotland andWales, in addition to the governments of the BritishCrown Dependencies:Guernsey,Jersey and theIsle of Man. AsEngland does not have a devolved administration, it is not individually represented on the council but only as a member of the United Kingdom.[2]

The British and Irish governments, and political parties in Northern Ireland, agreed to form a council under theBritish–Irish Agreement, part of theGood 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 inEdinburgh, Scotland; it meets in semi-annual summits and more frequentministerial meetings.[3]

Background

[edit]

The British–Irish Council was established on 10 April 1998 following two years worth of negotiations between the UK and Irish Governments alongside the political parties inNorthern Ireland on the terms of theGood Friday Agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, a political organisation was to be established in order to foster and provide opportunities to greater integral working between both the UK and Irish governments, and later the devolved governments ofScotland,Wales and Northern Ireland. The Multi-Party agreement between both the UK and Irish governments formally came into effect on 2 December 1999.[4]

Since its formation, the heads of governments of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey have met biannually during the Heads of Administrations summit. The first meeting of the British–Irish council took place on 17 December 1999. The first meeting was hosted by the United Kingdom and Prime MinisterTony Blair inLondon.[5]

In 2006, the St. Andrews Agreement was signed in order to establish a standing permanent Secretariat to the British–Irish Council. The establishment of the position was designed to "further the British-Irish Council work". The Permanent Secretariat was established six years later, located in the capital city of Scotland,Edinburgh following an agreement between council members at the summit in 2010 hosted by Guernsey that the Scottish Government would be the Permanent Secretariat host. The Secretariat was formally established in January 2012.[5]

In 2023, the summits held in Jersey and the Republic of Ireland marked twenty-five years since the Good Friday Agreement,[5] whilst the 42nd summit hosted by Scotland in December 2024 marked twenty-five years since the inaugural meeting of the council.[6]

Overview and structure

[edit]
A British-Irish Council summit hosted by Scotland atStirling Castle

The nine heads of government meet atsummits twice per year. Additionally, there are regular meetings that deal with specific sectors which 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. AlthoughCornwall technically holdsobserver status on the Council due toits language, it is also represented by the UK government.[7][8]

The work of the council is financed by members through mutual agreement as required.[9] 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 theBritish-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.

Work areas

[edit]
Heads of government gather at the 16th summit held in London, June 2011

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 theEuropean 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:

  • Collaborative spatial planning (Northern Ireland)
  • Demography (Scotland)[10]
  • Digital inclusion (Isle of Man)
  • Early years policy (Wales)
  • Energy (United Kingdom – Electricity Grids, and Scotland – Marine)
  • Environment (United Kingdom)
  • Housing (Northern Ireland)
  • Indigenous, minority and lesser-used languages (Wales)
  • Misuse of Substances (drugs and alcohol) (Ireland)
  • Social inclusion (Scotland and Wales)[10]
  • Transport (Northern Ireland)
  • Creative Industries (Jersey)

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

Membership and operation

[edit]

Members and advisors

[edit]
Member nameSymbolsParliamentMembershipMembership statusRepresented since
ArmsFlag
United KingdomUnited KingdomUnited KingdomParliament of the United Kingdomfullsovereign state1999
IrelandIrelandRepublic of IrelandOireachtas
ScotlandScotlandScotlandScottish Parliamentdevolved government
WalesWalesWalesSenedd
Northern Ireland--Northern Ireland Assembly
JerseyJerseyJerseyStates Assemblycrown dependency
Isle of ManIsle of ManIsle of ManTynwald
GuernseyGuernseyGuernseyStates of Guernsey
Advisor nameSymbolsBodyAdvisorAdvisor statusRepresented since
ArmsFlag
CornwallCornwallCornwall CouncilAdvisor onCornish languageEnglish unitary authority2023[11]

Current leaders

[edit]

Membership of the Council consists of the following administrations (with currentheads of administrations as of November 2025):

MemberRepresentative(s)Title
United KingdomKeir StarmerMPPrime Minister
IrelandMicheál MartinTDTaoiseach
ScotlandJohn SwinneyMSPFirst Minister
WalesEluned MorganMSFirst Minister
Northern Ireland[a]Michelle O'NeillMLA[12]First Minister
Emma Little-PengellyMLADeputy First Minister
JerseyDeputyLyndon FarnhamChief Minister
Isle of ManAlfred CannanMHKChief Minister
GuernseyDeputyLindsay de SausmarezChief Minister

Name of the Council

[edit]

Initial suggestions for the council included the namesCouncil of the British Isles[13] orCouncil of the Isles,[14] and the council has sometimes been known by the latter name. However, owing tosensitivities around the termBritish Isles, particularly in Ireland, the nameBritish–Irish Council was agreed.

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

Summits

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

[29]

30th22 June 2018GuernseyGavin St PierSt Pierre Park Hotel,Saint Peter Port[30]
31st9 November 2018Isle of ManHoward QuayleIsle of Man[31]
32nd28 June 2019United KingdomDavid LidingtonManchester[32]
33rd15 November 2019IrelandLeo VaradkarDublin[33]
34th6 November 2020ScotlandNicola Sturgeonvia video conferencing[30]
35th11 June 2021Northern IrelandArlene Foster andMichelle O’NeillLough Erne resort, Fermanagh[31][18]
36th19 November 2021WalesMark DrakefordCardiff[32]
37th8 July 2022GuernseyPeter FerbracheSt. Pierre Park Hotel,Saint Peter Port[33]
38th11 November 2022United KingdomRishi SunakBlackpool[34][10]
39th16 June 2023JerseyKristina MooreSt Brelade[35][19]
40th24 November 2023IrelandLeo VaradkarDublin Castle[36]
41st21 June 2024Isle of ManAlfred CannanIsle of Man[20]
42nd5–6 December 2024ScotlandJohn SwinneyEdinburgh[21]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^TheFirst Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland is adiarchy. While other members of the organisation 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. TheScottish andWelsh Deputy First Ministers have attended meetings in the past.

References

[edit]
  1. ^Jesse, Neal G., Williams, Kristen P.:Identity and institutions: conflict reduction in divided societies.Publisher SUNY Press, 2005, page 107.ISBN 0-7914-6451-2
  2. ^See Vernon Bogdanor, 'The British–Irish Council and Devolution', inGovernment and Opposition: An International Journal of Comparative Politics, volume 34, issue 3, July 1999, pp.291–295.
  3. ^"British-Irish Council".Scottish Government. 25 June 2010.Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved28 November 2019.
  4. ^Council, The British Irish."Background". The British Irish Council. Retrieved5 December 2024.
  5. ^abcCouncil, The British Irish."Timeline". The British Irish Council. Retrieved5 December 2024.
  6. ^"Scotland to host 42nd British-Irish Council".gov.scot. Retrieved5 December 2024.
  7. ^"Fourth Report Submitted By United Kingdom Pursuant To Article 25, Paragraph 2 Of The Framework Convention For The Protection Of National Minorities".Council of Europe. 8 April 2015. p. 25.Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved27 March 2021.
  8. ^"New Frontiers: Cornish Culture and Heritage"(PDF).Cornwall Council. 2018.Archived(PDF) from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved27 March 2021.
  9. ^Belfast AgreementArchived 22 November 2013 at theWayback Machine – 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 theWayback Machine
  10. ^abc"In Context: The British-Irish Council". 22 November 2022. Retrieved30 November 2022.
  11. ^"Cornwall Council approves new devolution deal". 28 November 2023.
  12. ^"DUP: NI First Minister Paul Givan announces resignation". BBC News. 3 February 2022.Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved3 February 2022.
  13. ^UDP proposes creation of British Isles councilArchived 11 July 2015 at theWayback Machine,Irish Times, 30 May 1996
  14. ^The British-Irish Council: Nordic Lessons for the Council of the IslesArchived 10 July 2015 at theWayback Machine, Mads Qvortrup and Robert Hazell,The Constitution Unit, October 1998
  15. ^"Menystrans hembronk rag yethow teythyek, minoryta ha le-usys yw an Governans Kembrek". British-Irish Council. 16 May 2013.Archived from the original on 16 August 2014. Retrieved22 July 2014.
  16. ^1/1999: AN tACHT UM CHOMHAONTÚ NA BREATAINE-NA hÉIREANN, 1999
  17. ^"Work of the British-Irish Council". British-Irish Council. Archived fromthe original on 29 January 2004. Retrieved11 April 2017.
  18. ^"Arlene Foster bows out with smiles and Frank Sinatra's That's Life".The Guardian. 11 June 2021.Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved11 June 2021.
  19. ^"Jersey to host 39th British-Irish Council Summit". 13 June 2023.
  20. ^Gash, Juliette (21 June 2024)."Taoiseach attends British-Irish Council on Isle of Man". RTÉ News.
  21. ^Council, The British Irish; Penny, Lisa (2 December 2024)."British-Irish Council Summit to be hosted by the Scottish Government". The British Irish Council. Retrieved5 December 2024.

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