| Abbreviation | BIIGC |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference |
| Formation | 17 December 1999; 25 years ago (1999-12-17) |
| Type | IGO |
| Legal status | British–Irish Agreement |
| Headquarters | Belfast, Northern Ireland1 |
| Coordinates | 54°35′42″N5°55′53″W / 54.59510°N 5.93144°W /54.59510; -5.93144 |
Region served | United Kingdom and Ireland |
| Membership |  Ireland United Kingdom |
| Remarks | 1 This is the location of the Joint Secretariat of the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference. |
| Strand 1 |
|---|
| Strand 2 |
| Strand 3 |
| Additional bodies |
TheBritish–Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) is anintergovernmental organisation established by the Governments ofIreland and the United Kingdom under theGood Friday Agreement in 1998. It first met in London in 1999, and the latest meeting took place at 100 Parliament Street in London on 29 April 2024.[1]
When theNorthern Ireland Assembly is suspended, devolved matters revert to the BIIGC's remit. The BIIGC guarantees theGovernment of Ireland a say in areas of bilateral co-operation and on those matters not yetdevolved to theNorthern Ireland Assembly or theNorth/South Ministerial Council.[2]
The BIIGC is normally chaired by the IrishMinister for Foreign Affairs and theSecretary of State for Northern Ireland.[3] Provision is made however for meetings atsummit level, i.e. between theTaoiseach and Prime Minister, as required. Summit meetings of the BIIGC took place in 1999, 2005 and 2018.[3] There is also provision under the Belfast Agreement forMembers of the Legislative Assembly to be involved in the intergovernmental conference but they do not have the power to block decisions taken by the two governments.
The establishment of the BIIGC was provided for under Strand Three of the Good Friday Agreement, signed on 8 March 1998. The inaugural meeting took place at10 Downing Street on 17 December 1999 and was chaired by Prime MinisterTony Blair andTaoiseachBertie Ahern and attended by representatives of theIrish government, theBritish government and theNorthern Ireland Executive.
The BIIGC replaced the Anglo-Irish Conference which was established under Article 2 of theAnglo-Irish Agreement of 1985. Under the terms of theBelfast Agreement, the BIIGC is supported by officials of the British and Irish Governments, including a standing Joint Secretariat of officials dealing with non-devolved Northern Ireland matters. The BIIGC secretariat has approximately 21 staff (10 for the British side, 11 for the Irish side).[4] The staff comprise a mix of grades from senior civil servants to administrative support grades.[4]
In respect of bilateral co-operation these include:
In respect of non-devolved matters issues include:
Under an international agreement between the UK and Ireland on "Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters" signed in 2005, the Northern Ireland minister responsible for justice reports to the BIIGC on certain matters. This is because the Agreement provides that the Ministers of the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland (hereinafter referred to as "the Ministers") responsible for criminal justice matters in the two jurisdictions (Ireland and Northern Ireland) shall meet at least annually for the purpose of facilitating more effective co-operation and co-ordination on criminal justice matters, including in combating criminal behaviour, working together in the prevention of crime and on community safety issues, and dealing with offenders after conviction. Such meetings shall be referred to hereinafter as Ministerial Meetings on criminal justice co-operation. The Agreement provides that such meetings shall operate under the auspices of, and be accountable to, the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference.[5]
The following is a list of meetings of the BIIGC:[6]