In the 1996 Forum elections, McWilliams, Sagar and eight other Coalition candidates secured 7,731 votes (1.03%). They did not win any constituency seats, but under a 'top-up' mechanism to ensure the representation of minor parties, they were awarded two seats, taken by McWilliams and Sagar. They attended the negotiations dominated by the other 108 representatives and supported (but did not, as often reported, sign) the ensuing intergovernmental Good Friday Agreement. The NIWC successfully introduced amendments on mixed housing, the inclusion of women in public life, special initiatives for young people affected by the conflict, recognition of the links between reconciliation and mixed housing and integrated education, and the promotion of a culture of tolerance. The NIWC also advocated the creation of a Civic Forum for Northern Ireland, which was included in the Agreement and set up in 2000.