IPER further resources

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The IMC was created by the British and Irish governments to fulfil three responsibilities; to monitor and report on the continuing activities of paramilitary groups; to monitor and report at six-monthly intervals on the security normalisation measures taken by the British Government in Northern Ireland and, to consider and report on claims from any party in the Northern Ireland Assembly that a Minister or another party was not committed to democratic means or was not following the correct standards of behaviour. The Commission ceased operations in 2011.

They produced 26 reports that can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/independent-monitoring-commission

The Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) is one of the measures set out in Section A of the Fresh Start Agreement to bring an end to paramilitary activity and to tackle organised crime in Northern Ireland. The introduction to the Agreement set out its overall vision as follows:

Building on the political Agreements reached in the past, the progress made to date – and to ensure it continues – we reiterate the primacy and centrality of peace and the political process to the continued transformation of our society, through democracy, inclusion, reconciliation, equality of opportunity for all and the absence of violence.

The IRC’s objective is to carry out its functions with a view to supporting long term peace and stability in society and stable and inclusive devolved Government in Northern Ireland, and promoting progress towards ending paramilitary activity connected with Northern Ireland. 

The IRC will consult with a wide range of stakeholders including statutory agencies, law enforcement and civic society and will report on progress towards ending paramilitary activity connected with Northern Ireland and on the implementation of relevant measures of the UK Government, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive. 

The IRC website is here https://www.ircommission.org/about-irc 

It has produced six reports which can be accessed here: https://www.ircommission.org/publications

(2010) Smyth, Marie(2004) 'THE PROCESS OF DEMILITARIZATION AND THE REVERSIBILITY OF THE PEACE PROCESS IN NORTHERN IRELAND', Terrorism and Political Violence, 16: 3, 544 — 566

To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/09546550490509865

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09546550490509865

Oral evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee’s Inquiry into Paramilitarism in Northern Ireland. Link to video recording and Transcript

2022 paper commissioned by the NIAC committee https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/117412/pdf/