Programme for Cohesion,Sharing and Integration agreed

First Minister Rt. Hon. Peter D Robinson, MP, MLA, and Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, have announced that they have agreed a programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration.

Over the coming weeks, the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister will ask government departments for their input into the programme. The document will then be presented to the OFMDFM committee before being submitted to the Executive. The draft programme will then go out for public consultation.

The programme sets out a vision for a new era in which we work together to build a shared and better future, a future where fairness, equality, rights, responsibilities and respect are acknowledged and accepted by all.

Commenting on the strategy, the deputy First Minister said: "As we move forward under the new dispensation, it is vital that we act with renewed vigour to build a society that has as its foundation equality, improved community relations and a place for all our citizens."

The First Minister said: "Progress on implementing this good relations programme is essential to building a peaceful and stable Northern Ireland. The actions it contains are not just the responsibility of government, but of society as a whole. We believe that this programme provides a strong framework for building a shared, better and brighter future for all in Northern Ireland."

Notes to editors:

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