Frank Pallone: “last week the Helsinki Commission, also known as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, held a hearing on…”

“last week the Helsinki Commission, also known as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, held a hearing on the issue of policing in Northern Ireland. I want to commend the commission for holding this hearing on this timely issue and to add my voice to a growing list of influential individuals who have called on the British Government to reform the police service of Northern Ireland. Madam Speaker, 6 years ago this month, the people of Northern Ireland, Great Britain, and the Republic of Ireland entered into a peace agreement, commonly referred to as the Good Friday Agreement. This legendary accord set out a framework that would allow Northern Ireland to govern itself and provide for a rule of law that was responsible to all people in the north of Ireland. Unfortunately, 6 years later, much of the agreement has either been stalled, derailed, or simply never implemented. Most notably, the one issue that the British Government has refused to address after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement is that of police reform. For a true and lasting peace to exist in Northern Ireland, reforming the police service is a must.”