Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid urged people to demonstrate their commitment to the Belfast Agreement at the upcoming general election.
In what was seen as an attempt to bolster the position of under-fire Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble, Dr Reid warned that the hard-won peace process was not irreversible.
There are fears among pro-Agreement parties that the polls will bring major gains for those opposing it, such as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
It would undermine the position of Mr Trimble, who presides over the power-sharing government set up under the terms of the April 1998 agreement.
"There's an old saying that you never know what you've got until it's gone, and I believe that is absolutely true about this situation," Dr Reid said.
He told BBC radio that despite the benefits of the peace process, "this is not irreversible. It is not inevitable. We continually have to make compromise and dialogue.
"No-one says there are not unresolved issues. The key question is, 'Is the Good Friday agreement the way to solve them?'
"I am convinced it is and there is no alternative.
"It is the people of Northern Ireland who would be the victims if this went back, and it could do."
Dr Reid's appeal was dismissed by DUP deputy leader Mr Peter Robinson as "a sign of desperation."
He said Protestants, who want to maintain British rule in the province, did not see police reforms, the IRA's political wing Sinn Fein in government, the early release of paramilitary prisoners and other issues as benefits.
AFP