The UK Northern Ireland secretary and Irish premier Bertie Ahern will join the politicians in Washington on Thursday.
Unlike in the Republic of Ireland where tough actions are being taken soon, it really is being postponed in the UK and in Northern Ireland until the next election.
Over the year, the Northern Ireland claimant count has increased by 5.9% (3, 600), compared to a decrease of 4.2% in the UK. The annual increase in Northern Ireland was the highest among the UK regions.
He also highlighted the strong trading links with the UK as Northern Ireland's major economic trading partner.
However, RICS said the pace of decline in Scotland was slower than the rest of the UK, with Northern Ireland and the West Midlands seeing steep price falls.
Speaking in a BBC Northern Ireland interview, he said welfare dependency had harmed too many parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland.
"In 2009, with around 3% of the UK population, Northern Ireland secured 10.3% of all the new FDI jobs that came into the UK, " he said.
The enterprise zone, a child of the Thatcher era, has been reborn everywhere in the UK, except Northern Ireland.
BBC: Business community's mixed feelings on enterprise zones
The changes in England's examinations mark a widening divide between education systems within the UK - with Wales and Northern Ireland so far not following the changes proposed in England.
It is thought to be the first time that the baton gun has been used in the UK - outside of Northern Ireland - since it was approved last year.
Others at the summit included Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, the Irish Taoiseach, or prime minister, Brian Cowen, Wales' deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, Welsh secretary Paul Murphy - who is representing the UK government - and Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness.
The ICTU has warned that Northern Ireland would be the UK region hardest hit by public sector job cuts.
BBC: Sammy Wilson tells unions to shut up over job predictions
The council brings together ministers from the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, the Northern Ireland executive, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland.
The Good Friday Agreement settled the dispute between London and Dublin about sovereignty, with both governments and the major political parties recognising the "principle of consent", namely that it's up to the will of the majority voting in a referendum whether Northern Ireland remains in the UK or becomes part of Ireland.
Among the questions put to the 500 Northern Ireland business leaders is whether the UK should enter the euro zone.
Over the summer the UK government, in the shape of the former Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson, was accused by unionists of acting like Pontius Pilate, washing his hands of decisions on parades.
Since then it has helped people blinded in various wars, through treatment as prisoners of war, in the conflict in Northern Ireland, bomb blasts in the UK and abroad and accidents such as car or helicopter crashes.
BBC: NEWS | UK | England | Southern Counties | Blind charity marks 90th birthday
Scotland saw the slowest rate of job creation of all surveyed UK regions, with the exceptions of Northern Ireland, Wales and Yorkshire and Humber, where headcounts either decreased or were unchanged.
BBC: Scottish business going through soft patch, says survey
Questioned by the Conservative former Welsh Secretary, Lord Crickhowell, the DPM agreed that what was needed was a UK-wide conversation rather than the piecemeal passing out of powers to Scotland, or Wales or Northern Ireland, without regard to the overall UK picture - hinting that a wider devolutionary settlement might eventually be needed.
He said that the gas interconnection between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, the conversion of Ballylumford to gas-firing and the establishment of a natural gas industry in the greater Belfast area was providing consumers with greater choice.
If the poll results in a vote for Northern Ireland to remain in the UK, the agreement says a similar exercise shouldn't be repeated for at least seven years.
BBC: United Ireland border poll call: diversions and u-turns
The show, seen in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK on ITV, has been broadcast at the same time on RTE One for many years.
Licensing laws for England and Wales are the responsibility of the UK government, but are devolved to the administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Alliance Party's Stephen Farry said the figures for the destruction of dogs were much higher in Northern Ireland than in other parts of the UK. He added that dog ownership should be seen as a privilege rather than a right.
However, the Green Party said the Northern Ireland reduction was less than the other three UK regions.
The number of people living with dementia is expected to increase faster in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the UK, according to research.
Seen in that context, the Robinson strategy could be seen as a Dad's Army-style "don't panic" message to his own grassroots, making it clear to Protestants that, even if the demographic gap is closing, there's no reason to assume Northern Ireland's status within the UK is under threat.
The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning of ice for a large chunk of the UK from London in the south east, across north Wales up to Northern Ireland and across northern England and southern Scotland.
BBC: Power problems remain after severe weather cuts supplies
The legal opinion says England, Wales and Northern Ireland would be most likely to inherit the UK's existing treaty obligations and membership of international bodies - while Scotland would have to begin anew.
Tom Crossan, chair of the NI Melanoma Strategy Implementation Group, said Northern Ireland had been the first region in the UK where sunbeds had been banned from all council facilities and was leading the way with legislation to regulate the industry.
应用推荐