Jimmy Carter was the first US President to formally speak about Northern Ireland

Following his passing on December 29, former US President Jimmy Carter is being honored with a State Funeral in Washington, DC followed by a funeral and burial in his native Georgia today, Thursday, January 9.

On August 30, 1977, Carter became the first US President to issue a formal statement on Northern Ireland which, at the time, was amidst the height of The Troubles.

Previous presidents, including Irish American John F. Kennedy, dodged the Northern Ireland issue, often arguing that it was a matter for the UK.

Speaking to the Irish Times last month, former Irish diplomat Ted Smyth said President Carter's 1977 statement, where he suggested that the Irish Government be brought in as an equal partner of the UK in the Northern Ireland issue, was an "enormous breakthrough."

Elsewhere, marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in 2023, the Carter Center said President Carter's 1977 "groundbreaking initiative established the precedent for the pivotal role succeeding US presidents played in securing the peace."

Caoimhe Ní Chonchúir, Ireland's consul general in Atlanta, told the Carter Center at the time: “While the Agreement belongs, first and foremost, to the people of Northern Ireland, it was, in many ways, born of hope made in America.

“Successive US leaders, starting with President Carter, helped drive the process forward."

Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander added: "More than two decades before the Good Friday Agreement was signed, President Carter aligned himself with those in Northern Ireland who were advocating for peace and nonviolence.

"He helped lay the groundwork for the Agreement."

President Jimmy Carter’s Northern Ireland Statement on US Policy - August 30, 1977

Throughout our history, Americans have rightly recalled the contributions men and women from many countries have made to the development .of the United States. Among the greatest contributions have been those of the British and Irish people, Protestant and Catholic alike. We have close ties of friendship with both parts of Ireland and with Great Britain.

It is natural that Americans are deeply concerned about the continuing conflict and violence in Northern Ireland. We know the overwhelming majority of the people there reject the bomb and the bullet. The United States wholeheartedly supports peaceful means for finding a just solution that involves both parts of the community of Northern Ireland .and protects human rights and guarantees freedom from discrimination--a solution that the people in Northern Ireland, as well as the Governments of Great Britain and Ireland can support. Violence cannot resolve Northern Ireland's problems; it only increases them and solves nothing.

We hope that all those engaged in violence will renounce this course and commit themselves to peaceful pursuit of legitimate goals. The path of reconciliation, cooperation, and peace is the only course that can end the human suffering and lead to a better future for all the people of Northern Ireland. I ask all Americans to refrain from supporting with financial or other aid organizations whose involvement, direct or indirect, in this violence delays the day when the people of Northern Ireland can live and work together in harmony, free from fear. Federal law enforcement agencies will continue to apprehend and prosecute any who violate U.S. laws in this regard.

U.S. Government policy on the Northern Ireland issue has long been one of impartiality, and that is how it will remain. We support the establishment of a form of government in Northern Ireland which will command widespread acceptance throughout 'both parts of the community. However, we have no intention of telling the parties how this might be achieved. The only permanent solution will come from the people who live there. There are no solutions that outsiders can impose.

At the same time, the people of Northern Ireland should know that they have our complete support in their quest for a peaceful and just society. It is a tribute to Northern Ireland's hard-working people that the area has continued to attract investment, despite the violence committed by a small minority. This is to be welcomed, since investment and other programs to create jobs will assist in ensuring a healthy economy and combating unemployment.

It is still true that a peaceful settlement would contribute immeasurably to stability in Northern Ireland and so enhance the prospects for increased investment. In the event of such a settlement, the U.S. Government would be prepared to join with others to see how additional jobcreating investment could be encouraged, to the benefit of all the people of Northern Ireland.

I admire the many true friends of Northern Ireland in this country who speak out for peace. Emotions run high on this subject, and the easiest course is not to stand up for conciliation. I place myself firmly on the side of those who seek peace and reject violence in Northern Ireland.

(Statement courtesy of the American Presidency Project.)