Kirsty King

Wednesday 19th April marked Day 3 of the Agreement 25 conference at Queen’s University Belfast. Titled ‘Reimagine’, the third day of the conference looked to the future, and discussed the potential economic opportunities that Northern Ireland can avail of in the next 25 years. The day featured contributions from local and global business and political figures, including the newly appointed US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar TD and Prime Minister of the UK Rishi Sunak MP.

On Wednesday morning, The Scoop attended a press conference with three visiting US Ambassadors to the conference who had contributed to the peace process. Those present were Nancy Soderberg, Former Deputy National Security Advisor and former Ambassador at the United Nations, Melanne Verveer, former US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, and Ambassador Mitchell B. Reiss, former US Special Envoy for the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

US Ambassadors Nancy Soderberg, Melanne Verveer and Mitchell B. Reiss

When asked about the potential economic opportunities for Northern Ireland 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, Reiss began by saying that while the potential for the region is “enormous”, a prerequisite of foreign direct investment from the United States is a “stable, functioning government, so that business has some predictability”. Pointing out Northern Ireland’s connection to both the EU and the UK, Verveer suggested that Northern Ireland has the potential to be “in the middle of an economic renaissance like no other place,” if a government came back into operation.

Asked about whether the strong message at this week’s conference about the importance of restoring the devolved institutions may have alienated the DUP further, Reiss stated that it would be “inappropriate” to pressure the DUP as they would have to “come to their own conclusions”. However, he pointed out that “the stakes are higher” for the party as there now exists “a different type of opportunity than existed literally days or weeks or months ago”, and the economic gain is now more visible than it was because of “renewed American interest in creating good jobs, foreign direct investment and moving Northern Ireland forward”.

In terms of the specific US investment which can be expected if Northern Ireland can offer stability for businesses, Soderberg said, “Watch what [Congressman] Joe Kennedy does… Watch who comes with him on his delegations… He’ll be back regularly”. She continued that who comes with Kennedy on these delegations will be a “good signal”, as to what investment is possible for the region.

The Scoop asked the Ambassadors what message they would give to young people in Northern Ireland who are considering emigrating elsewhere to live and work due to a sense that there is currently a lack of opportunities for them here. Soderberg started by saying that “the environment is going to be there if the ideas and the youth are here”, and encouraged young people to “stay, invest, come up with ideas and change your own society” so that 25 years from now, “Somebody can say… I did this, and 1000 people are still here because I created those jobs for them”.

Verveer added that “one of the lessons” she has taken out of Northern Ireland over the years is the “rich community engagement” and seeing more recently “how young people are engaged”. She noted the number of young women who ran in last year’s Assembly election, and how over 30 per cent of those elected being women was “an enviable number when you look at the state of the world in terms of women’s participation”. She concluded by saying the people of Northern Ireland have proven over the years “what a difference people can make at that community level”, which she believes is one of the “strongest messages” coming out of Northern Ireland today.

Kirsty King is Head of The Scoop and an English graduate from Queen’s University Belfast

Ambassador Melanne Verveer: One of the lessons I’ve taken out of Northern Ireland is the “rich community engagement”