Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
34. A consultative Civic Forum will be established. It
will comprise representatives of the
business, trade
union and voluntary sectors, and such
other sectors
as agreed by the First Minister and
the Deputy First
Minister. It will act as a
consultative mechanism on
social, economic and cultural issues.
The First Minister
and the Deputy First Minister will by
agreement
provide administrative support for the
Civic Forum
and establish guidelines for the
selection of
representatives to the Civic Forum.
Transitional
Arrangements
35. The Assembly will meet first for
the purpose of
organisation, without legislative or
executive powers,
to resolve its standing orders and
working practices
and make preparations for the
effective functioning
of the Assembly, the British-Irish
Council and the
North/South Ministerial Council and
associated
implementation bodies. In this
transitional period,
those members of the Assembly serving
as shadow
Ministers shall affirm their
commitment to
non-violence and exclusively peaceful
and
democratic means and their opposition
to any use or
threat of force by others for any
political purpose; to
work in good faith to bring the new
arrangements
into being; and to observe the spirit
of the Pledge of
Office applying to appointed
Ministers.
Review
36. After a specified period there
will be a review of
these arrangements, including the
details of electoral
arrangements and of the Assembly's
procedures, with
a view to agreeing any adjustments
necessary in the
interests of efficiency and fairness.
Annex A
Pledge of Office
To pledge:
(a) to discharge in good faith all the
duties of office;
(b) commitment to non-violence and
exclusively
peaceful and democratic means;
(c) to serve all the people of
Northern Ireland equally,
and to act in accordance with the
general
obligations on government to promote
equality and
prevent discrimination;
(d) to participate with colleagues in
the preparation
of a programme for government;
(e) to operate within the framework of
that
programme when agreed within the
Executive
Committee and endorsed by the
Assembly;
(f) to support, and to act in
accordance with, all
decisions of the Executive Committee
and Assembly;
(g) to comply with the Ministerial
Code of Conduct.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Ministers must at all times:
observe the highest standards of propriety and
regularity
involving impartiality, integrity and
objectivity in relationship to
the stewardship of public funds;
be accountable to users of services, the
community and, through
the Assembly, for the activities within their
responsibilities, their
stewardship of public funds and the extent to
which key
performance targets and objectives have been
met;
ensure all reasonable requests for information
from the Assembly,
users of services and individual citizens are
complied with; and
that Departments and their staff conduct their
dealings with the
public in an open and responsible way;
follow the seven principles of public life set
out by the Committee
on Standards in Public Life;
comply with this code and with rules relating to
the use of public
funds;
operate in a way conducive to promoting good
community
relations and equality of treatment;
not use information gained in the course of
their service for
personal gain; nor seek to use the opportunity
of public service to
promote their private interests;
ensure they comply with any rules on the
acceptance of gifts and
hospitality that might be offered;
declare any personal or business interests which
may conflict with
their responsibilities. The Assembly will retain
a Register of Interests.
Individuals must ensure that any direct or
indirect pecuniary
interests which members of the public might
reasonably think
could influence their judgement are listed in
the Register of
Interests;
--
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