Speakers Commemorate 25th Anniversary of Good Friday Agreement at Georgetown

Panelists (from left to right) Monica McWilliams, Mary Robinson, Liz O’Donnell, Michelle O’Neill, and moderator Melanne Verveer speak at Gaston Hall March 16. (Photo by Ninabella Arlis)

On March 16, 2023, Gaston Hall at Georgetown University hosted a league of Irish women negotiators and their supporters to celebrate and discuss the twenty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) organized the event to commemorate the crucial, yet underlooked role of women in building and protecting peace. 

Representatives from Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the British government signed the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) on April 10, 1998. Britannica explains that the agreement ended a decades-long period of violence and unrest in Northern Ireland known as the “Troubles” and called for devolution of government in Northern Ireland. The UK government wrote that the GFA laid the foundation for the past 25 years of prosperity and peace in Northern Ireland in a statement to mark the anniversary.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Irish Taoiseach (or the Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar, along with leaders from Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK and US, commemorated the anniversary at Georgetown’s “Women at the Helm: The Unfinished Business of Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement” conference. The event focused on the role of women, who were instrumental in the negotiation of the GFA.

Ambassador and Executive Director of GIWPS Melanne Verveer moderated the event. She began by briefly congratulating and welcoming the featured speakers before Georgetown President John DeGioia greeted the crowd and panel as well. Varadkar then reflected on voting for the first time the year that the treaty was signed and spoke candidly about life as a teenager during such a changing time. 

He said that the GFA served as a beacon of hope that people can build sustainable peace for the future and it created “a different and better Ireland.” The Taoiseach acknowledged women’s central role in the agreement, stating that the document had a better chance of success and sustainability directly due to women’s involvement. Varadkar concluded by touching on the role the United States, specifically Clinton, played before asking the young audience to “continue to have an interest in Ireland” and wishing everyone a happy St. Patrick's Day.

Paul Narain, the U.S. Consul General in Belfast, and H.E. Dame Karen Pierce, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States both contemplated the bright and inclusive future of Ireland. Monica McWilliams, a Signatory to the GFA in Northern Ireland and Co-founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, described life prior to the agreement, saying the people on the stage could have never even stood for a picture together then. She too commented on the future’s unfinished business and asked what will be done for the next generation.

Former president of Ireland and Chair of The Elders Mary Robinson shared her unique perspective of having been in office during the process. She spoke of her role as “president outside of politics” and shared a story of when she invited many different women's groups to meet. They arrived “all dolled up” as it was their first time in Dublin, and by the end of the evening they were all “sitting on the floor laughing together.” 

Liz O'Donnell, the Former Minister of State of Ireland, fittingly followed Robinson by first sharing that she originally got into politics through working on Robinson’s campaign. She reflected on how this experience inspired her and called for “building more bridges to bring in other women.”

The women then all joined together for a panel discussion moderated by Verveer. Afterwards, Joseph Kennedy III, the U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, took the stage to further explore the relationship between the U.S. and Ireland. Jayne Brady, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service echoed this sentiment, saying the U.S. “supported our bravery and shared in our joy over twenty-five years ago.”

“We stay with you. We support you. We will try to learn the lessons you have taught us.” Clinton said during the final speech of the event after a second panel of Irish women answered questions from Verveer and submitted by students. Clinton shared her final sentiment: “Our journey together must continue.”

The 25 year anniversary of the GFA’s signing is a significant event far beyond Georgetown. Joe Biden announced that he will visit Belfast to commemorate the GFA’s anniversary, according to Politico. British prime minister Rishi Sunak invited Biden to join anniversary celebrations in the capital of Northern Ireland.