British-Irish Council is a political body that addresses matters of concern to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is also known as the Council of the Isles. It brings together representatives from the national parliaments of Ireland and the United Kingdom; the assemblies of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales; and the governments of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which are British dependencies.
The council promotes cooperation on policy among the various governments by providing a forum for discussion of issues of mutual concern. It does not have the power to pass laws. The British-Irish Council was created as part of a 1998 political settlement concerning Northern Ireland.
