The Good Friday Agreement (GFA), so called because it was signed on the Friday before Easter Sunday, was drafted to create a long lasting peace between the political parties of both Britain and Ireland.
The Agreement is concerned with establishing how Northern Ireland should be goverened. Some key terms of the GFA are that Northern Ireland should have devolved parliamentary powers separate from Westminster, and that the question of Northern Ireland joining the Republic could only be answered by 'the principle of consent' wherein the majority of people in Northern Ireland would be indicate a desire to leave the Union for the Republic by popular vote. The Agreement itself was approved by an all-island vote.
The GFA also deals with issues of civil rights, sovereignty, and the decomissioning of weaponry, as well as a relaxation of security measures particularly along the border between the Republic and the North.
The Good Friday Agreement is often regarded as one of the most successful peace keeping agreements of modern politics.
