British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference facts for kids
| Abbreviation | BIIGC |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference |
| Formation | 17 December 1999 |
| Type | IGO |
| Legal status | British–Irish Agreement |
| Headquarters | Belfast, Northern Ireland1 |
|
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. |
The British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) is a special group where the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom work together. It was set up in 1998 as part of the Good Friday Agreement, which helped bring peace to Northern Ireland.
This group allows Ireland and the UK to talk about important topics. It's especially important when the Northern Ireland Assembly (Northern Ireland's local government) is not working. In those times, the BIIGC helps make decisions on things that would normally be handled by the Assembly. It also makes sure Ireland has a say on shared topics and matters not managed by the Assembly.
Contents
How the BIIGC Works
The BIIGC usually has meetings led by Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister and the UK's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Sometimes, the top leaders, like the Taoiseach (Ireland's Prime Minister) and the UK's Prime Minister, meet too. These "summit level" meetings have happened a few times since 1999.
Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly can also join these discussions. However, they don't have the power to stop decisions made by the two governments.
A Look Back: History of the BIIGC
The idea for the BIIGC came from the Good Friday Agreement, signed in March 1998. The very first meeting happened on 17 December 1999. It was held in London and led by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Representatives from the Irish, British, and Northern Ireland governments were all there.
The BIIGC took over from an older group called the Anglo-Irish Conference. This older group was set up in 1985. The BIIGC gets help from officials from both the British and Irish governments. They have a special office called the Joint Secretariat in Belfast. This office helps manage topics that are not handled by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Topics the BIIGC Discusses
The BIIGC talks about many different things. These topics can be divided into two main types:
These are things that both Ireland and the UK work on together:
- Rules about who can enter and live in the country, including travel between Ireland and the UK.
- Issues related to the European Union and other international matters.
- Social security, like benefits, and how to prevent fraud.
- Education.
- Money and taxes.
Northern Ireland Matters (Non-Devolved)
These are topics about Northern Ireland that are handled by the BIIGC, especially when the Northern Ireland Assembly is not fully active:
- People's rights.
- Policing and how security works.
- Justice and legal matters.
- Making security arrangements more normal.
- Working together on security across the border.
- Support for victims of violence.
- Issues related to prisons.
- Broadcasting.
Past Meetings
The BIIGC meets regularly to discuss these important matters. Here are some of the dates when they have met:
- 17 December 1999 (Leaders' Meeting)
- 22 October 2002
- 18 December 2002
- 20 May 2003
- 2 July 2003
- 18 September 2003
- 22 January 2004
- 21 April 2004
- 7 July 2004
- 15 December 2004
- 2 March 2005
- 27 June 2005 (Leaders' Meeting)
- 19 October 2005
- 1 February 2006
- 2 May 2006
- 25 July 2006
- 24 October 2006
- 26 February 2007
- 25 July 2018
- 2 November 2018
- 8 May 2019
- 24 June 2021
- 2 December 2021
- 23 March 2022
- 7 October 2022
- 19 January 2023
See also
