St Andrews Agreement

The 2006 agreement between the British and Irish governments and Northern Ireland’s political parties that set terms for restoring devolved government.

Good Friday Agreement: The 1998 agreement that established a framework for ending conflict and sharing power in Northern Ireland. It created the devolved institutions whose restoration the St Andrews Agreement set out to secure.
Democratic Unionist Party: A unionist political party in Northern Ireland founded by Ian Paisley in 1971. The DUP’s acceptance of power-sharing and the police service was central to implementing the agreement.
Ian Paisley: A Northern Irish unionist politician and Protestant minister who led the Democratic Unionist Party from 1971 to 2008. His decision to enter power-sharing as First Minister marked the DUP’s acceptance of the settlement.
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007: The March 2007 election that selected members for Northern Ireland’s devolved legislature. The election was the democratic step in the timetable leading from St Andrews to restored government.
Northern Ireland peace process: The political negotiations and reforms that sought to end conflict and establish lasting peace in Northern Ireland. St Andrews was a major settlement in the continuing effort to stabilize Northern Ireland’s peace process.
Sinn Féin: An Irish republican political party active in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Sinn Féin’s commitment to support the police service helped meet a key condition for restoring institutions.
Gerry Adams: An Irish republican politician who led Sinn Féin from 1983 to 2018. He led Sinn Féin through the commitments on policing that helped unlock restoration.
Northern Ireland Executive formation, 2007: The May 2007 formation of a power-sharing Executive led by Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness. It fulfilled the agreement’s central objective of restoring devolved power-sharing.
Northern Ireland Assembly suspension of 2002: The suspension of Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions by the British government in October 2002. The suspension left power-sharing dormant, creating the immediate problem the 2006 negotiations addressed.
Police Service of Northern Ireland: The police force established in 2001 to serve Northern Ireland, succeeding the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The agreement made political support for the PSNI a central test of republican participation in government.

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