In response to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech marking the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement’s 25th anniversary at Queen’s University Belfast today, Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International UK’s Northern Ireland Deputy Director, said:

“Rishi Sunak’s pledge to the agreement will be judged by his actions, not words. The Good Friday Agreement’s promise will only be fulfilled if the UK government ‘gives everything’ to realising the rights commitments at its core.

“Prosperity comes when peace thrives; the ongoing process of reconciliation requires conflict related violations to be addressed.

“The total absence from Sunak’s speech of Troubles victims was a missed opportunity to show he is listening to them and the opposition to his Government's Troubles Bill.

“The Prime Minister must take the opportunity of this milestone anniversary to drop the Troubles Bill and other legislation which directly undermines the Agreement.”