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The British-Irish Council established under the 1998 Multi-Party Agreement held its twenty-first Summit meeting today, hosted by the Government of Jersey’s Chief Minister Senator Ian Gorst , in the L’Horizon Hotel, St Brelade’s Bay.
The British-Irish Council established under the 1998 Multi-Party Agreement held its twenty-first Summit meeting today, hosted by the Government of Jersey’s Chief Minister Senator Ian Gorst , in the L’Horizon Hotel, St Brelade’s Bay.
The heads of delegations were welcomed by the Chief Minister of Jersey. The Irish Government delegation was led by An Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny TD. The UK Government delegation was led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP. The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by First Minister, the Rt Hon Peter Robinson MLA, and the deputy First Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness MLA. The Welsh Government delegation was led by the First Minister, the Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM. The Scottish Government delegation was led by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, Mr John Swinney MSP. The Government of Guernsey delegation was led by Chief Minister, Deputy Peter Harwood, and the Isle of Man Government delegation was led by Chief Minister, Hon Allan Bell MHK.
The British-Irish Council continues to play a unique and important role in furthering, promoting and developing links between its Member Administrations through positive, practical relationships and in providing a forum for consultation and exchange of information on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the relevant Member Administrations.
The Economy
The Council discussed the current economic situation in the Member Administrations with a particular focus on youth employment. The Council, building on its previous discussions on youth employment, exchanged views and examined progress on the various policy initiatives and programmes aimed at helping young people into employment in each Member Administration and reviewed the latest relevant statistics. The Council, recalling its agreement at the nineteenth Summit held in Cardiff a year ago that all BIC work sectors consider the issue of generating employment opportunities for young people in their work programmes where appropriate, received an update on progress in this area.
Creative Industries
The Council, recalling the decision reached at its twentieth meeting in Derry-Londonderry to establish a BIC Creative Industries work sector led by the Government of Jersey, considered and approved a work programme for the next two years. Ministers held an exchange of views on how the work sector might nurture and further support the environments from which a new generation of creative people, creative ideas and creative businesses can emerge and flourish.
Update on Work Sectors
The Council received an update of the work that had taken place across each of the eleven work sectors since the last Summit in June 2013.
BIC Secretariat
The Council noted the Secretariat’s mid-year progress against its business plan.
Date and Location of the Next Summit Meeting
The Council noted that the next BIC Summit would be hosted by the Government of Guernsey in June 2014.
