EU Exit - Protecting the Northern Ireland Peace Process

The current position of the UK Government for a hard exit from the EU places the Northern Ireland peace process in severe jeopardy and has serious implications for the island of Ireland as a whole. This peace agreement received the consent of the majority of the people in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by way of referendum. It is an international peace treaty co-signed by the UK Government and the Irish Government and registered with the United Nations. European Community law, its conventions and charters and access both to the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights are explicit in the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The desire to protect our precarious peace process was a major feature of the successful trade union campaign, led by the Northern Ireland Committee of Congress, which resulted in a majority vote to remain in Northern Ireland. The desire of the UK Government to pursue a hard exit from the EU is a major threat to the principles of consent and equivalence of rights across the island of Ireland that are core principles of the peace process. It will undoubtedly be followed by a sustained attack on the Human Rights Act, which would represent another disastrous blow to the equality and human rights provisions and un nished business of the Good Friday Agreement. Whilst Theresa May can repeat the mantra that there will be no return to the borders of the past , it is increasingly clear that a exit will result in the return of a border across the island of Ireland which will damage the fragile peace that has been hard won. Exit from the EU customs union in particular will also have profound social and economic consequences for both jurisdictions in Ireland. It is to the shame of the UK Government that the implications for peace in Northern Ireland of a exit from the EU have been completely ignored. The political situation in Northern Ireland has dramatically destabilised resulting in the collapse of the Executive after only nine months, fresh elections in March 2017 and protracted political negotiations between the parties to attempt to establish a new Executive and a common position on the impending EU exit. At the time of writing this motion, the future  is unclear. Meanwhile, the UK Government continues apace to introduce its Great Repeal Bill, designed  to incorporate existing EU law into UK law whilst repealing the European Communities Act 1972. However, as part of this process, the UK Government intends to ditch the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Following the passing of this Act decisions will be made, possibly by UK Government Ministers acting alone, about which elements of EU law to retain and which elements to discard. Given the current UK Governmen'ts attitude to equality and human rights in general, and worker's rights in particular, this has potential adverse implications for workers in Northern Ireland. Conference notes that this legislation will have major implications for the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland. Any interference by the UK Government in the devolution settlement, or attempts to claw-back powers which have been devolved are unwelcome and will damage the delicate constitutional settlement established under the peace process. Conference calls on the incoming Executive Council to spearhead a campaign to protect workers across the island of Ireland as the process of EU exit continues. This campaign should: Ensure that protection of the Northern Ireland peace process is a negotiating priority for the Irish Government, UK Government and NI Executive, if formed. If the result  of the EU referendum from across the UK must be respected, regardless of the fact  that people in Northern Ireland voted to remain , then the overwhelming will of the people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in voting in favour of the Good Friday Agreement must also be respected and enacted. Build support for the policy priorities outlined by Congress in a Brexit: The Key Issues (October 2016) amongst the Irish Government, UK Government and NI Executive and further develop policy positions in relation to worker's rights; equality and human rights; jobs and the economy; trade; public spending; the border and the free movement of people; the support that should be provided for agriculture, shing, the development of infrastructure and community projects if EU based funding is withdrawn; the rights of Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland; and a right to remain for non-Irish EU citizens in Northern Ireland as the negotiating process develops.