COPY TO:
PST
PSS
MR. P. TEAHON
MR. S. DONLON
MR. T. DALTON
{4E 19/6.}
Confidential
Summary Report (18 June)
1. The conferring phase continued today in two main sessions.
2. A three-hour morning session looked at the agenda for the opening Plenary on the basis of a document circulated by the Chairman yesterday.
3. A second session from 5 - 10 pm considered a composite draft on the procedural guidelines which was prepared by the Chairman and his staff earlier today, with assistance from the two Governments, in the light of yesterday's discussion.
4. The UKUP appeared at this session. Robert McCartney sought cover for his attendance by pressing the Chairman for confirmation that the powers envisaged for him in the Scenario document are not on offer in the draft under discussion. The Chairman gave this confirmation (by noting that the Scenario document has not been adopted).
5. The constructive atmosphere of yesterday's exchanges was on the whole maintained today. The only disturbance arose from efforts by McCartney, successfully resisted by Seamus Mallon and others, to reopen the agreement reached on the chairmanships last Tuesday evening.
6. During this morning's discussion on the agenda, most delegations supported the Governments' proposal. A modest degree of flexibility was in evidence on the Unionist side. The UUP maintained pressure for a decommissioning discussion as the first item on the continuing Plenary agenda, arguing that this is justified by the sequencing used in para 12 of the 28 February communique. The two Governments made clear that no pecking order was intended in the latter respect. The DUP (Robinson) were open to prefacing the decommissioning discussion with the appointment of the Business Committee, the adoption of the rules of procedure and the opening statements.
7. Before lunch, the Chairman privately put to the UUP a proposal under which, following adoption of the rules of procedure and the appointment of the Business Committee, there would be a day of opening statements; then a time-limited decommissioning discussion (either half a day or a full day); then an open-ended discussion of the comprehensive agenda and its adoption, followed by the appointment of the sub-committee on decommissioning and concluding remarks. The British Government supported this approach but sought the addition of a point which would have the participants commit themselves, at the conclusion of the decommissioning discussion, to working to secure the implementation of all aspects of the Mitchell Report.
8. In the event, this package was rejected by the UUP, who returned with an uncompromising proposal under which, notably, the sub-committee would have to report before discussions could begin in the three strands. Both Governments read this as a tactical manoeuvre, possibly reflecting inter-Unionist coordination. The Chairman expressed the view to the UUP that it had no chance of acceptance.
9. The Chairman has promised a composite draft on the agenda, to be prepared overnight and circulated tomorrow morning.
10. The Chairman's composite draft on the procedural guidelines, which formed the basis of this evening's session, received a broad welcome from delegations. The Unionist parties are, however, seeking a number of changes. The principal initiative taken by the Chairman has been to widen the proposed definition of "sufficient consensus" so as to include a majority of the participating parties. This is acceptable to most delegations but the UUP are to reflect on it overnight. To meet concerns about possible ambiguity, we suggested the deletion of the adjective from the phrase "clear majority" in the proposed definition. This found general support.
11. The Chairman is to circulate a revised version tomorrow morning embodying these and a number of other amendments.
12. It is at this stage highly unlikely that a report registering agreement on the rules of procedure and the agenda can be produced in time for the Plenary due to begin at 12 noon tomorrow. The Chairman is likely, therefore, to make an interim report and to suggest reconvening in the present format next Monday with a view to achieving a final report for a resumed Plenary on Wednesday 26 June.
13. A bilateral meeting took place today with the SDLP.
