Smyth, PeterPeterSmyth2010-08-132010-08-13The author20051649-0304http://hdl.handle.net/10197/2374Paper presented at the conference on “Implementing the agreement : the North-South bodies five years on”, 27 May 2005, University Industry Centre, University College DublinThis paper reviews the story of North-South cooperation after 1999. Because of the sensitivities associated with North-South cooperation, the initial meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council were important as much for symbolism as for practical outcomes. But as the implementation bodies established themselves, and gov-ernment departments engaged in the areas of cooperation, the possibilities offered by cooperation for mutual benefit became more apparent, and NSMC meetings assumed a different and much more meaningful character. The paper looks at the impact of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s suspension in 2002, and offers a brief look at the wider dimensions of cross-border cooperation.47308 bytesapplication/pdfenCooperationNorthern IrelandIrelandBelfast AgreementGood Friday AgreementIntergovernmental cooperation--Northern IrelandIntergovernmental cooperation--IrelandNorthern Ireland. AssemblyWorking Paperhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/