- Wednesday, 10 November 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.
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Session 21067: 1993-11-10 12:00:00
[Exact time unknown] The Butler-Nally group met to discuss the Joint Declaration initiative. The new copy of the Joint Declaration, JD13, with Archbishop Eames' additions, was on the table. The British delegation made it clear that they were still under instructions not to proceed with the Joint Declaration initiative. The Irish delegation threatened recriminations. The atmosphere was severely strained.
Membership (at session start):
Robin Butler, John Chilcot, Dermot Nally, Seán Ó hUiginn (4 total)
Representing 2 delegations:
British Government , Irish Government
Imported Documents
- Joint Declaration: JD13 (e1070939) imports from Informal British-Irish Bilaterals,
on Tuesday, 09 November 1993, at 12:00
Imported Amendments
Exported Documents
Exported Amendments
Resources (7):
Resource Collections (0):
None
Resource Items (7):
Briefing Points for Nally-Butler Group Meeting – 10 November 1993 - (file)
Briefing notes for the Nally-Butler Group meeting on 10 November 1993. Also includes handwritten annotations [which seem to describe a "Discussion with Taoiseach" and mention Mallon and Hume].
Draft Joint Declaration [JD13] - (file)
Photocopied draft Joint Declaration by Reynolds and Major, containing eleven paragraphs. [This was the version under discussion in the Nally-Butler Group on 10 November 1993.]
Enclosure: Joint Declaration JD13 Annotated Copy - (file)
JD13 with Thomas' underlines and sidelines of passages added since the last Irish text (JD11).
Enclosure: Record of a Butler/Nally Meeting on 10 November 1993 - (file)
Quentin Thomas' record of a Butler/Nally meeting on 10 November 1993. The new copy of the Joint Declaration, JD13, with Archbishop Eames' additions, was on the table. The British delegation made it clear that they were under instructions not to proceed with the Joint Declaration initiative. The Irish delegation threatened recriminations. The atmosphere was severely strained.
Enclosure: Record of a Butler/Nally Meeting on 10 November 1993 - (file)
Page 2 is slightly blurry. Meeting was attended by Robin Butler, John Chilcot, Quentin Thomas, Dermot Nally and Seán Ó hUiginn. A new draft - JD13 - was discussed. The Irish position was as follows: firm on Provisional exclusion unless they agreed to consent principle to drop time limit for withdrawal demand, enthusiastic about direction of peace process, and set up to blame British intransigence if no progress before 3rd December 1993. The British position was more circumspect regarding the potential of the JDI given the exacabatory effect of the recent Hume/Adams talks on constitutional Unionist fears. There followed a fundamental difference of opinion over the potential for peace. The authorship and implications of JD13's text was discussed. Divisions again emerged over the compatibility of the JDI and the Talks process ,with the British affirming and the Irish admitting their preference for the former.
Meeting of the Nally-Butler Group – 10 November 1993 - (file)
Photocopied note by Nally of his meeting with Butler, on 10 November 1993. Also present at the meeting were O hUiginn, Chilcot, and Thomas. The note is addressed to Reynolds and marked “secret and personal”. Items discussed include the “Hume-Adams effect on Unionist opinion”; the “green language” of the draft Joint Declaration. Further includes a full report by Ó hUiginn of the same meeting, also dated 10 November 1993.
Meeting of the Nally-Butler Group – 10 November 1993 [Handwritten] - (file)
Handwritten note by Nally of his meeting with Butler on 10 November 1993.
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Events (46)
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