Northern Ireland Bureau
Encyclopedia
Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive...
, and the senior staff are Civil Servants
Northern Ireland Civil Service
The Northern Ireland Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive, the devolved government of Northern Ireland....
from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It works to develop and deepen mutually beneficial links between economic, educational, cultural and community development interests in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Northern Ireland. It can investigate issues, explore areas of collaboration and partnerships and exchange best practice strategies.
About
The Director of the Bureau, Norman Houston, outlined the NI Bureau’s primary goal:"Our primary goal is to promote Northern Ireland to the United States as a confident, capable and outwardly looking region. Many organizations and individuals in the United States have supported developments in Northern Ireland over the years and there is a very positive response to Northern Ireland. It is important to recognise that this relationship has changed and continues to evolve.”
The incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Director is Norman Houston.
Responsibilities
"The role of the Bureau is to:- develop a positive profile of Northern Ireland among US policy-makers and opinion-formers by ensuring that the policies of the Northern Ireland Administration and its associated institutions are known and understood;
- monitor policy developments in the US, ensuring that Northern Ireland Ministers and Departments have up-to-date information, and are aware of opportunities for co-operation; and
- pursue areas of collaboration and partnership identified by the above exchanges, and encourage their development in ways that maximize the mutual benefits."
Promoting the profile of Northern Ireland in the US
"Northern Ireland, with 1.7 million citizens, is a relatively small region often seen as on the periphery of Europe. It does, however, have much to offer; not least in the way its people have striven to develop constitutional solutions to the deep-rooted problems of a divided community. The Bureau regularly organizes receptions where US officials have a chance to meet informally with people from Northern Ireland and discuss the realities of life there. The office is also committed to promoting high profile cultural events in Washington."Developing understanding of US issues
"The office provides a resource for Northern Ireland officials wishing to know more about the US and its policies. High priority policy issues, identified in conjunction with Departments, are regularly monitored and relevant Ministers and officials in Northern Ireland are kept informed of developments."Providing support for Ministers during their visits
"The office has been specifically designed to provide full facilities for Northern Ireland Ministers and officials visiting US institutions. It has state-of-the-art communications with Northern Ireland, a Ministerial suite and conference facilities. Ministers can use these facilities to prepare for meetings and discussions with officials from the US Administration, Capitol Hill and Institutions."See also
- Office of the First Minister and deputy First MinisterOffice of the First Minister and deputy First MinisterThe Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive with overall responsibility for the running of the Executive...
- Northern Ireland ExecutiveNorthern Ireland ExecutiveThe Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement...
- First Minister and deputy First MinisterFirst Minister and deputy First MinisterThe First Minister and the Deputy First Minister , sometimes abbreviated to FM/DFM, are positions in the Northern Ireland...
- Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in BrusselsOffice of the Northern Ireland Executive in BrusselsThe Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels is part of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and is the focus of Northern Ireland's relations with the institutions of the European Union . As a dynamic European region, Northern Ireland has an interest in...