Guidance

Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Article 2

Information about the UK Government’s commitment to “no diminution of rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity” in Northern Ireland.

• From: Northern Ireland Office
• Published: 7 August 2020

Documents

Explainer: UK Government commitment to no diminution of rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity in Northern Ireland

PDF, 144 KB, 8 pages

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Details

The UK Government’s approach to withdrawal from the European Union has been underpinned by our steadfast commitment to upholding the Belfast (‘Good Friday’) Agreement. We acknowledge the importance of the rights and equality protections set out in the Agreement, which recognise the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland’s history and the need to put rights and equality central to creating a peaceful and shared future in Northern Ireland. The UK is committed to ensuring that rights and equality protections continue to be upheld in Northern Ireland.

The Protocol commitment to “no diminution of rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity” means that the UK Government must make sure that the protections currently in place in Northern Ireland for the rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity provisions set out in the relevant chapter of the Belfast (‘Good Friday’) Agreement are not diminished as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

This explainer contains information on:

• What the commitment to “no diminution of rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity” means;
• Who is covered by the commitment;
• Which rights are in scope and what will amount to a breach;
• How the UK Government is implementing the commitment;
• What remedies will be available should a breach occur.

Published 7 August 2020