[1] According to the Government of the United Kingdom its missions include:[2] The idea of forming an East-West Council was first proposed by Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson in October 2023 as a prerequisite to restoring a power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland.
Donaldson hoped that the proposed body would "bring together representatives from across the United Kingdom", on a "regular basis" to "discuss and collaborate on opportunities for enhanced co-operation".
[3] Plans for the council were outlined in a command paper published by the UK government in February 2024.
The East-West Council met for the first time on 26 March 2024 at Dover House in London.
[5] The council is made up of representatives from the UK central government, Northern Ireland Executive, business and civil society.