CCBS Annual Conference 2018

Date: 8-9 March 2018

Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk

The 2018 Annual CCBS Conference, “The Good Friday Agreement in All Its Parts: Safeguarding the totality of relationships”, brought together more than 100 participants.

Some delegates were centrally involved in drafting and implementing the 1998 Agreement and the Devolution settlement for Northern Ireland – and many others have since had responsibility for its implementation.

Other attendees’ work as peacebuilders and cross-border cooperation practitioners has given life and substance to the ethos and objectives of the Agreement through good times and bad.

This year’s conference built upon the dialogue started with our 2016 conference, ‘Bordering Between Unions: What Does the UK Referendum on Europe Mean for Us?’ that focused on the likely economic, social and political implications of a UK withdrawal or the possible reforms leading to its continuing membership upon these islands and upon the wider future direction of Europe. It was continued at our 2017 conference, Building and maintaining relationships: within, across and beyond these islands after the Referendum.

Conference Theme

CCBS Director, Ruth Taillon, explained the thinking behind the choice of this year’s conference theme: “As we approach the 20^th Anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement we must ask ourselves how we continue to put into practice our commitment to the totality of relations within and between these islands that it represents.

“The Strand 1 Institutions (the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly) have not functioned since January 2017, and therefore without Northern Ireland Ministers, there have been no North South Ministerial Council meetings (Strand 2), although there remains cooperation at Departmental level and the NSMC Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat continues to function.

“The Strand 3 bodies – the British Irish Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference – should in the context of Brexit be increasingly important mechanisms for cooperation.

“Issues related to Ireland/Northern Ireland are central to the negotiations over the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. While all parties to the negotiations have stated their support for the Agreement ‘in all its parts’, it is not clear if there is common understanding of what this means and their associated obligations.

“Worryingly, in recent weeks, there have been comments from some advocates of a ‘hard’ Brexit that question the continued relevance of the 1998 Agreement as it becomes increasingly clear that it is difficult to reconcile withdrawal from the EU Single Market and Customs Union with protecting the Agreement in all its parts.”

Thursday’s Keynote Speakers

Our opening keynote speaker on Thursday morning was Dr Martin Mansergh, a key architect of the 1998 Agreement, addressing “Brexit: The constitutional issues for the UK, Ireland and Northern Ireland”.

Hugh Logue, former special advisor to Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMdFM) and a former EU Commission official, opened the afternoon session on Thursday with a talk on “Cooperation under the Good Friday Agreement: past, present and future”.

Pre-dinner speaker

The pre-dinner speaker on Thursday evening was Tony Connelly, Europe Editor for RTE.

Friday’s Keynote Speaker 

Our keynote speaker on Friday morning was the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP, on the topic, “How do we continue to moderate each other’s views through the Brexit process?”

The Conference also featured panel discussions on “Human rights and the Good Friday Agreement”, “Devolution agreements from the Good Friday Agreement to Brexit and beyond”, “Building and maintaining relationship” and “Safeguarding the totality of relationships”.

Programme

Day 1

Welcome – Dr Helen Johnston, Chair, Centre for Cross Border Studies

Keynote address – Dr Martin Mansergh, Vice Chair, Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations Panel Discussion – Brexit: The constitutional issues for the UK, Ireland and Northern Ireland

Panel Discussion – Human rights and the Good Friday Agreement

• Chair: Dr Anna Bryson, Board Member, Centre for Cross Border Studies
• Paddy Kelly, Director, Children’s Law Centre
• Prof Siobhan Mullally, Director and Established Professor of Human Rights Law, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway
• Daniel Holder, Deputy Director, Committee on the Administration of Justice
• Michael Farrell, Member, Council of Europe Commission against Racism and Intolerance; and Member, Council of State

Keynote address – Hugh Logue, Former European Commission Official – Cooperation under the Good Friday Agreement: past, present and future

Panel Discussion – Devolution agreements from the Good Friday Agreement to Brexit and beyond

• Chair: Colin Stutt, Board Member, Centre for Cross Border Studies
• David Brew, Executive Committee Member, European Movement in Scotland
• Dr Etain Tannam, Associate Professor, International Peace Studies, Trinity College Dublin
• Brid Rodgers, Founder Member and Former Deputy Leader, SDLP
• Jim Gibney, Irish News Columnist and Sinn Féin member

Presentation – Dr Anthony Soares, Deputy Director, Centre for Cross Border Studies – The new Common Chapter for cooperation within and between these islands

Review of day one – Ruth Taillon, Director, Centre for Cross Border Studies

Pre-dinner speaker – Tony Connelly, Europe Editor, RTÉ

Day 2

Opening remarks – Dr Helen Johnston, Chair, Centre for Cross Border Studies

Keynote address – Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP, Conservative Party – How do we continue to moderate each other’s views through the Brexit process?

Conversation – Building and maintaining relationships

• Chair: Dr Anthony Soares, Deputy Director, Centre for Cross Border Studies
• Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA, Ulster Unionist Party
• Fergal Mythen, Director General, Ireland, UK and Americas Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Prof John O’Brennan, Jean Monnet Prof of European Integration, Maynooth University
• Justin McNulty MLA, SDLP
• Dr Stephen Farry MLA, Alliance Party

Panel Discussion – Safeguarding the totality of relationships

• Chair: Tony Kennedy OBE, Board Member, Centre for Cross Border Studies
• Earl Storey, Board Member, Centre for Cross Border Studies
• Owen Reidy, Assistant General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions
• John Webster, Head of the Scottish Government Office in Ireland
• Michael D’Arcy, Programme Lead, Ibec/CBI Northern Ireland Joint Business Council

Closing Remarks – Ruth Taillon, Director, Centre for Cross Border Studies