Chris Heaton-Harris – 2023 Speech at the PEACE PLUS Launch

Good morning everyone, and thank you to Eimear for her very warm introduction, and to Gina and her team for setting up a fantastic launch event.

It is wonderful to be here today, at the New Forge Community Development Trust, and to be joined by colleagues from the Irish Government, European Commission and the Northern Ireland Civil Service. I think we can all see, from this fantastic complex, just some of the positive outcomes that have stemmed from a series of long-running peace funding packages that have operated since 1995.

Let me start by saying thank you to everyone here that continues to work on securing the peace that the people on this island enjoy in their everyday lives today and helping to move towards a more reconciled society.

Thank you too to the Irish Government and the European Commission for your work getting the financing agreement over the line, ensuring funding can flow to those who need it most and delivering those essential projects that promote stability, foster cohesion and build prosperity.

As we are all aware, over the course of this year, communities across Northern Ireland have marked the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. This landmark agreement continues to be an extraordinary achievement for Northern Ireland, helping to lay the foundation of the more peaceful, free and prosperous society that we see today. We can be proud to see the huge strides of progress made over the past 25 years.

Although we have a positive story to tell in-terms of delivering on the promise of the Agreement over the past 25 years, we also acknowledge that there is more to be done to realise other aspects of the Agreement’s ambition for a society that is reconciled with the past and able to look to the future.

In view of our unyielding commitment to upholding the Agreement, we will continue to work tirelessly to secure an even brighter, more reconciled future for Northern Ireland, thereby enabling it to look forward.

That is why we continue to support the work of the SEUPB, following the UK’s exit from the European Union. We are providing more than £730 million to the programme (almost 75% of the budget), which includes match funding contributions from the Northern Ireland Executive. Together with contributions from the European Commission and Ireland of over £250 million, this brings the total up to almost £1 billion, a huge investment from across the international stage towards peace and prosperity as we mark the anniversary of the Agreement and look forward to the next 25 years.

Since being appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I have had the opportunity to visit many of the brilliant people, businesses, social enterprises and voluntary organisations across Northern Ireland who are determined to improve the lives of their families and communities, and just this morning, I have been speaking to some of you about how you’ve been working towards achieving these objectives.

I can see the great value and impact that you all have in communities across Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland, and I am proud that this funding is available to support the vital ongoing work to promote peace and reconciliation and contribute to cross-border economic and territorial development.

This week also signifies an important moment for Northern Ireland. Tomorrow leading investors and international businesses will arrive in Belfast for the Northern Ireland Investment Summit, as we bring together one of the largest groups of investors Northern Ireland has ever seen.

This in itself is a testimony to the huge progress made over the last 25 years and I am proud that we are able to promote the unique economic strengths and opportunities in Northern Ireland on a global stage. I have no doubt that the partnerships formed in Belfast this week will lead Northern Ireland to a more prosperous future.

The Windsor Framework agreed with the EU earlier this year also marks a new era of partnership for the UK and EU and a stable framework for the future. The Framework delivers stability for the people of Northern Ireland, protects Northern Ireland’s place in the Union, and preserves the balance in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

Too often, in politics, we focus on the issues that divide us. PEACE PLUS is there to counter this tendency; to promote peace and reconciliation. I know you will all agree that PEACE PLUS comes at a critical time and, as in previous programmes, will significantly contribute to and support those initiatives aimed at fostering cohesion across all communities.

I am determined that the PEACE PLUS projects and activities will promote stability while also contributing to the economy; building prosperity and supporting the levelling up of Northern Ireland’s economy with the rest of the UK. A commitment I know is shared across the sponsors of this programme.