Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has announced that Fleur Ravensbergen will take up the role of Independent Expert on paramilitary group transition to disbandment.

Ms Ravensbergen is a conflict resolution and negotiation practitioner and a lecturer in conflict resolution and governance at the University of Amsterdam.

The appointment has been made jointly with Jim O’Callaghan, the Irish Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

Making the announcement, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said it was right that the governments “test whether there is more that can be done to end paramilitarism”.

The two governments committed to making the appointment earlier this year following a recommendation from the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) that a “twin track” process of

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