Northern Ireland business leaders have advocated a Yes vote in the referendum on the Belfast Agreement on the basis that it represents the best opportunity for social, political and economic prosperity.
Mr Christopher Gibson, chairman in Northern Ireland of the Confederation of British Industry, said: "We have concluded that the agreement will be a major step forward towards creating a more favourable and positive environment in which businesses can grow and flourish and more jobs be created.
"There is significant potential in the medium to long-term to create a more prosperous and inclusive society . . . We are confident that it represents the best basis for social, political and economic development."
Mr Gibson said the CBI hoped every person entitled to vote would do so, and take into account the economic benefits of the agreement when doing so.
The CBI consulted widely with its members and held an extraordinary meeting of its Northern Ireland Council to evaluate the potential impact from an economic perspective, asking four key questions, before backing the agreement.
The CBI asked if the agreement had the potential to create peace, political stability and a modern pluralist society; the potential to create an environment conducive to investment, economic growth and employment creation; the potential to improve the quality of life of every citizen; and the potential to create a strong regional government built on partnership, which could carry the confidence of the wider community.
It concluded Yes to all four questions.
The CBI congratulated all those involved in reaching the agreement. It said it had every confidence that the people of Northern Ireland and the politicians they supported could help to make Northern Ireland a better place in which to live and work.
"CBI are committed and willing to support the institutions and forums which will be established to ensure that the economic and business interests of Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom are kept to the fore," said Mr Gibson.
The CBI's decision has been welcomed by the Alliance party economy spokesman, Mr Peter Osborne, who said the CBI's support for a Yes vote "is extremely important for identifying the real social and economic opportunity and for delivering part of the peace dividend on jobs and increasing prosperity".
The Alliance spokesman said it was "impossible to conceive of people here saying No in the referendum to the economic and quality of life opportunities that arise from a workable agreement".