Irish Delegation Discussion on the Joint Draft Declaration

Existing Text	British Amendment
The role of the British Government will be to encourage, assist and enable such agreement over a period through a process of dialogue and co-operation based on full respect for the rights and identities of both traditions in Ireland.	The role of the British Government will be to encourage assist and enable the process of reaching such agreement through dialogue and co-operation based on full respect for the rights and identities of both traditions in Ireland.

Irish Text & proposed Irish amendment	British Text
The British Government agree that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given, North and South, to bring about a united Ireland, if that is their wish.	The British Government reaffirm Northern Ireland's statutory guarantee, agree that the people of the island of Ireland North and South should be free separately without coercion or violence to determine whether a united Ireland should be established; and agree that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone on this basis to exercise their right of self-determination.

Irish Amendment	British Proposal
The British and Irish Governments reiterate that all those claiming a commitment to the cause of peace have an absolute responsibility to permanently renounce the use of, and support for, paramilitary violence. Once such a renunciation of violence ha~~s~~d been made and sufficiently demonstrated, new doors would open, and both Governments would respond imaginatively to the new situation which would arise. The ~~British~~ Prime Minister and the Taoiseach confirm that on this basis if the IRA were to end violence {^for good} Sinn Féin could participate fully ~~in the arena of~~ democratic politics and{, in due course,} join ~~the~~ {in} dialogue between the Governments and the other political parties on the way ahead. The British Government confirm that they would be prepared to enter preliminary exploratory dialogue with Sinn Féin {^within} three months after a permanent cessation of IRA violence had been announced and established. {The Irish Govt. will be open to [maintain the] dialogue / > in response to SF statement that they are going to stop.}	The British and Irish Governments reiterate that all those claiming a serious interest in advancing the cause of peace should renounce for good the use of, and support for, violence. If and when such a renunciation of violence has been made and sufficiently demonstrated, new doors could open and both Governments would wish to respond imaginatively to the new situation which would arise. The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach confirm that if the IRA were to end violence for good then - after a sufficient interval to ensure the permanence of their intent - Sinn Féin could enter the political arena as a democratic party and join the dialogue on the way ahead. The British Government confirm that they would be prepared to enter preliminary exploratory dialogue with Sinn Féin three months after a genuine and unequivocal cessation of violence by the IRA had been announced and established.

Writing Peace: Dermot Nally Collection

1993-12-06

Photocopied report by Mansergh of his discussion with Ó hUiginn, and Nally on the Joint Draft Declaration. Includes amendments proposed and commentary on them.

P254 1993

downing street declaration

P254

144 1980 - 2008

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Irish Government 1993-12-06 12:00

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Permission to display digital copies of these items has been granted to the Quill Project by University College Dublin. The majority of the items in this collection fall under Irish Government Copyright. The Irish Government is committed to the European Communities (Re-Use of Public Sector Information) Regulations.

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IE UCDA P254, Papers of Dermot Nally – Downing Street Declaration, UCD Archives, University College Dublin Library, Ireland, accessed via the Quill Project at https://www.quillproject.net/resource_collections/341/.

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P254

Irish Delegation Discussion on the Joint Draft Declaration

Writing Peace: Dermot Nally Collection

P254

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