Britain and the United States stepped up their support for the Belfast Agreement at the weekend, securing the backing of world leaders at the G8 summit and issuing a series of statements encouraging unionists in particular to vote Yes.
Separately and in concert, President Clinton and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said the agreement represented the best chance for a generation. The final communique of the G8 - which also includes the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia - pledged support for the deal.
"We recognise that the agreement must win the support of the people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. While acknowledging that it presents challenges to all parties, we hope it will achieve the widest possible support, not only as a basis for political stability and peace but also as an opportunity for economic development and prosperity," the joint statement said.
Mr Blair and Mr Clinton met on the margins of the summit to discuss Northern Ireland, and reportedly talked at length about next Friday's poll. A spokesman for Mr Blair said there had, however, been no conversation between the two men on what moves would be open if the agreement were to be rejected at the ballot.
"There was no discussion of Plan B - there is no Plan B. This is the only alternative," Mr Blair's spokesman said. "What happens if there's a No vote? Well, the government is there to pick up the pieces, but I don't think the Prime Minister regards that prospect as anything other than pretty grim."
The British government's private opinion polls in the North showed a large, committed Yes vote, a smaller, committed No vote and a sizeable Don't Know group. "The Don't Knows are more `Yes, but' than `No, but'," the spokesman added.
In his interviews, Mr Blair appeared to be targeting, in the main, wavering unionist voters. He stressed several times that he shared their "revulsion" about seeing prisoners being released.
"There is no question of an accelerated prisoner release unless violence stops for good, tested in the way we have described, laid down in legislation in the way we have described," he said. "If you look at the agreement as a whole, it offers both institutional stability and a way forward for the future, in return for the principle of consent being fully accepted in the Republic of Ireland, and in Northern Ireland all argument happens by way of democracy."
Asking voters in Northern Ireland to make a "leap of faith" and back the accord, President Clinton said Irish-Americans from both Protestant and Catholic communities were standing by, ready to help bankroll a post-conflict Ireland.
"I can tell you that the wave of elation that will sweep the friends of Ireland in the United States should this be accepted will be enormous, and there will just be a lot more willingness to get involved here and try help build a future," he said.
"If they vote to stay apart they are still going to be frustrated, distrustful, angry and a little bit left out," he added.