The pro-deal campaign formulated the issue as progress against an impasse, as a struggle between intolerant fanatics without solutions on the one hand and moderates with a constructive path forward on the other. The agreement was promoted to the nationalist community as civil law, inclusive government, recognition of its Irish character and peaceful path to Irish reunification. For the Unionist community, it was presented as an end to the unrest, a guaranteed end to the paramilitaries and their weapons, and a guarantee from the Union for the foreseeable future. There was a massive government-funded „yes” campaign, with large posters all over Northern Ireland. One of these posters featured five handwritten „promises” by Prime Minister Tony Blair to get the unionist „yes” – despite the fact that none of the wording of these „promises” was actually included in the deal presented to voters. These „promises” were: the pro-deal outcome was greeted with relief by supporters of the deal at the time. However, the extent of the sceptical and dissenting mood of the Unionist community, its persistent concerns about certain aspects of the agreement and the different expectations of the two Communities towards the agreement would lead to difficulties in the following years. The agreement contains a complex set of provisions relating to a number of areas, including: The agreement provided for the establishment of an independent commission to review police regulations in Northern Ireland, „including ways to promote broad Community support” for these arrangements. The UK government has also committed to a „comprehensive review” of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland.

The agreement consists of two related documents, both of which were agreed in Belfast on Good Friday, April 10, 1998: in addition to the number of signatories,[Note 1] Stefan Wolff notes the following similarities and differences between the issues dealt with in the two agreements:[28] The agreement was formally concluded between the British and Irish governments. and eight political parties in Northern Ireland, including Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and the Alliance Party. .