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  1. Overview: Northern Ireland Downing Street Joint Declaration (1993)
  2. Full Record: Northern Ireland Downing Street Joint Declaration (1993)
  3. Committee:Butler-Nally Meetings
  4. Wednesday, 14 July 1993, at 12:00

Northern Ireland Downing Street Joint Declaration (1993)

This project models the series of formal and informal negotiations which led to the publication, in December 1993, of a declaration issued jointly by the British and Irish Governments. The Joint Declaration was a critical policy document which paved the way for a ceasefire and the entry of Sinn Féin into formal talks. It also laid out a shared set of principles – including, crucially, self-determination for the people of Ireland subject to the consent of the people of Northern Ireland – which would come to underpin the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and provide a framework for its ratification.

Butler-Nally Meetings

This committee has been created to model meetings of the Butler/Nally Group, which was one of the key structures in the drafting of the Declaration. From Autumn 1993 onwards, Chilcot and Ó hUiginn were also part of the negotiating team working on the Joint Declaration.

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Session 17791: 1993-07-14 12:00:00

[Exact time unknown] The negotiating team met over lunch to discuss JD6. The British delegation made it clear they were unable to negotiate on the document, but provided a detailed commentary on their objections. The teams discussed principles to be included in the Joint Declaration. They agreed on some of these, but found self-determination to be the sticking point for the British delegation. It was tentatively agreed that the British objections would be conveyed to Sinn Féin and a further meeting would be held some time in late July/early August.

Membership (at session start):

Robin Butler, John Chilcot, Dermot Nally, Seán Ó hUiginn (4 total)

Representing 2 delegations:

British Government , Irish Government

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Resource Items (2):

British Government's 10 Principles - (link)

Photocopied document titled ‘10 Principles’ outlining the ten principles of the UK Government’s position on Northern Ireland.

Meeting of the Nally/Butler Group on 14 July 1993 - (link)

Photocopied note by Dermot Nally of his meeting with Robin Butler on 14 July 1993. Also present at the meeting were Seán Ó hUiginn, and John Chilcot, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The note is addressed to Albert Reynolds and marked “secret and personal”. The draft Joint Declaration is discussed. Further includes Dermot Nally’s handwritten notes on the meeting and a full report by Seán Ó hUiginn of the same meeting, written on 15 July 1993.

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