Rates, Water Charges and Policing are symptoms of Government breaching basic international and national commitments, says Nesbitt
Senior Ulster Unionist Dermot Nesbitt said today that hot political topics such as rates, water charges and policing are symptomatic of a much wider problem: the British and Irish governments continual breaching of international obligations and the Belfast Agreement.
Under its international commitments, the Government is required to not undermine its commitment to international obligations, including the protection of its citizens and the provision of democratic politics in Northern Ireland.
In a statement Mr Nesbitt said,
“Like other countries in Europe and throughout the world, Northern Ireland has a minority within its boundary which identifies with a neighbouring country in terms of nationality and which aspires to incorporation within that country. Because of this situation in so many nations, the Council of Europe agreed a convention that set an international standard to protect such minorities. The United Kingdom Government has ratified and agreed this Convention, which should ensure that international obligations, in respect of everyone in Northern Ireland, are actually met.
This Convention, while granting rights to minorities, also requires that such minorities respect both the national constitution and the legislation of the country in which they reside. In Northern Ireland Sinn Fein refuses to give such respect in at least one vital regard - policing. Peter Hain and the Governments are very understanding of Sinn Fein’s position. Indeed, in a keynote speech in July, Mr Hain tried to help Sinn Fein by suggesting that it should: “draw a distinction between ‘constitutional’ endorsement of the structures of policing, and support for the practical service of policing.”
In other words, he was saying that the minority, while refusing to abide by a key element of the Council of Europe’s internationally recognised convention, should nevertheless be guaranteed a place in government. At one stroke, the Government has abdicated, not respected, its international obligations by lessening the effectiveness of this important convention.
And it doesn’t stop there. On cross-border arrangements, the Belfast Agreement states that any further development of such arrangements must have the specific endorsement of the Northern Ireland Assembly. But the two governments have announced that, if devolution were not restored, they alone would develop the structures for co-operation including a step change in advancing North-South co-operation. They are breaching a core principle or element of the Agreement.
If our own government and the Irish government are so adept at ignoring and side-stepping international and national obligations that they are bound to, is it any wonder they are happy to ride roughshod over people’s expressed dissatisfaction with rates, water charges and a host of other direct rule policies? No. They can’t even get the basics right.”