The first meeting of the North-South ministerial council, attended by the Taoiseach and the North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, is expected to take place by mid-December. Mr Ahern and Mr Trimble are due to meet in Armagh, where the permanent secretariat for the council is likely to be based.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, will represent the Government at a shadow meeting of the council on Wednesday. This meeting is necessary to address legal and technical issues prior to the formal establishment of the council.
The Belfast Agreement notes that the council will "bring together those with executive responsibilities in Northern Ireland and the Irish Government". It will meet twice a year in "plenary format" with the Taoiseach and the North's First Minister in attendance. Other meetings at appropriate ministerial level will be organised "on a regular and frequent basis".
Essentially the organisational structure will not be unlike arrangements at EU level, with the heads of state meeting several times a year and ministers with similar responsibilities working away on related policies.
The council will be supported by a permanent secretariat, staffed by members of the civil service from the North and Dublin. It is understood that five or six Southern civil servants will be seconded to the new secretariat in Armagh.
The British-Irish council, which will comprise representatives of both governments as well as of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the devolved Parliaments in Edinburgh and Cardiff, is also to be established this week. The council will meet twice a year at summit level with the various governmental departments, represented by their respective ministers, meeting on a regular basis to discuss cross-sectoral issues.
In Northern Ireland, a consultative civic forum, comprising representatives of the business, trade union and voluntary sectors, will be set up under the terms of the Belfast Agreement this week, although it is not expected to meet formally for the first time until next week. The main areas covered by the 60strong body will be business and trade, agriculture and fisheries, voluntary and community issues such as communal relations, education, art, culture, sport, victims, women's and minorities' issues and the churches.
The voluntary and community sector will account for the largest membership, with 18 representatives. Seven members will represent the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Directors, the Confederation of British Industry and the Federation of Small Businesses. Several umbrella organisations such as the Ulster Farmers' Union and the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers' Association can collectively nominate three. The Northern Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions will put forward seven representatives.
The forum's first task will be to draw up guidelines under which it plans to operate and submit them to the Assembly for approval.
It will also have to report to the Assembly on a yearly basis.