Sunak-Biden meeting: PM must end hypocrisy and scrap legislation violating Good Friday Agreement

Amnesty International is calling on the Prime Minister to scrap Government legislation violating the Good Friday Agreement, such as the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, and recommit to realising the human rights protections central to the peace accord. The call comes ahead of the planned meeting between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden on Wednesday 12 April.

Amnesty has said UK government actions recklessly undermine the delicate peace settlement and must be on the agenda.

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International UK’s Northern Ireland Deputy Director, said:

“Biden and Sunak’s meeting is a key moment to acknowledge the Good Friday Agreement’s achievements, but we cannot ignore the reality of UK government actions that recklessly undermine it. 

“It rings entirely hollow that the Prime Minister is celebrating the Agreement whilst simultaneously pursuing a legislative agenda that erodes the rights commitments central to it.

“The Prime Minister must scrap the widely-opposed Troubles Bill that violates the Good Friday Agreement, and end threats to the European Convention on Human Rights which has been a cornerstone of Northern Ireland’s peace settlement.”