Preparations are already under way to mark its 25th anniversary, however they could be stymied if the power-sharing institutions are still suspended by then.
The protocol is a part of the UK-EU Brexit deal that keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules.
It keeps Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods, avoiding the need for a hard border with the Irish Republic after Brexit.
However, it also creates a new trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, something the EU accepts is causing difficulties for many businesses.
Some unionists say it is also undermining Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.
In protest against the protocol, Paul Givan of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) resigned as Northern Ireland’s first minister in February 2022, collapsing the power-sharing agreement.
Since then, there has been no devolved government in Northern Ireland.
