- Friday, 03 December 1993, at 14:55
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.
Prime Minister-Taoiseach Meetings
This committee has been created to model meetings between the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach.
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Session 21138: 1993-12-03 14:55:00
Following lunch, a plenary session was held to go through JD14 paragraph by paragraph. The Irish delegation proposed two amendments: the British delegation proposed 14. Many of these amendments included language mined from the alternative British draft, or suggested by Jim Molyneaux. The Taoiseach considered that the amendments proposed would completely upend the balance of the text, and that it would have no chance of ending violence under those circumstances. The meeting broke for half an hour so that both delegations could confer internally.
Membership (at session start):
John Major, Albert Reynolds (2 total)
Representing 2 delegations:
British Government , Irish Government
No imported or exported documents
Resources (24):
Resource Collections (0):
None
Resource Items (24):
Brief Summary Record of the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993 - (file)
A letter from Roderic Lyne to Jonathan Stephens giving a brief two-page summary of the fairly contentious Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993. which goes through the different meetings that were held and briefly states the conclusions they came to. It was agreed to discuss the text of the Declaration further during a Butler/Nally meeting to be held on 6 December 1993.
Comment on the Outcome of the Anglo-Irish Talks of 3 December 1993 - (file)
Comments on the outcome of the 3 December 1993 talks, including an assessment of the reaction of Irish officials and press. Highlighted.
Draft Joint Declaration (23 November 1993 Draft as Amended on 3 December 1993) - (file)
Photocopied draft Joint Declaration by Reynolds and Major, containing eleven paragraphs, with extensive handwritten comments by Nally dated 3 December 1993. Further includes a typescript paragraph dated 3 December 1993 with a note stating that is it a substitute for paragraphs 10 and 11 of the 23 November 1993 draft.
Draft Joint Declaration (3 December 1993 with British Amendments) - (file)
Photocopied draft Joint Declaration by Reynolds and Major, containing eleven paragraphs, marked “Draft considered at talks in Dublin Castle on 3 December 1993. UK amendments, as proposed, are in square brackets and underlined”. Some highlighting.
Draft Joint Declaration (3 December 1993 – Roderic Lyne Draft) - (file)
Photocopied draft Joint Declaration by Reynolds and Major, containing eleven paragraphs with a new paragraph 10, marked Rod Lyne draft. Includes British Government amendments tabled for 3 December 1993 with annotated commentary by Nally.
Draft Joint Declaration (3 December 1993) - (file)
Photocopied draft Joint Declaration by Reynolds and Major, containing eleven paragraphs and marked 1A. Dated "3/11/1993" [but this indicates the document which was on the table during the meeting not the amendments as proposed during the meeting.]
Enclosure: Amendments Proposed to JD14 in Dublin on 3 December 1993 - (file)
List of amendments proposed by both Governments in the text of the Joint Declaration on 3 December 1993.
Handwritten Record of Plenary Meeting on 3 December 1993 at 14.55 - (file)
Handwritten record of the plenary session of the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993. Attributed summaries of speech. Pen changes halfway through. Seems to go through the Joint Declaration section by section and identifies sticking points. Reynolds focusses on the balanced nature of the declaration.
Joint Declaration – JD14A as Amended by Hand in Dublin on 3 December 1993 to Become JD14B - (file)
A copy of the Joint Declaration which seems to have arrived at the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993 as JD14A and then been amended by hand during the meeting to become JD14B.
Letter from Roderic Lyne to Jonathan Stephens Enclosing Records of Anglo-Irish Summit Meetings on 3 December 1993 - (file)
High-level summary of the events of 3 December 1993.
Letter from Roderic Lyne to Jonathan Stephens Regarding the Meeting between the Irish and British Governments - (file)
Provides an account of the Anglo-Irish non-Summit that took place on 3 December 1993, with John Major, Patrick Mayhew and Douglas Hurd from the British Government and Albert Reynolds, Dick Spring and Máire Geoghegan-Quinn from the Irish Government. Encloses a record of the early afternoon meeting between Albert Reynolds and John Major, and a note on the late afternoon plenary meeting between the two delegations to discuss proposed amendments in the Joint Declaration.
List of Amendments Proposed to JD14 at the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993 (Two Copies) - (file)
Two copies, both stamped to show received by DUS's office on 6 December 1993. A list of the amendments proposed by both the British and Irish delegations to JD14 on 3 December 1993. More British amendments than Irish amendments.
Meeting between Reynolds and Major: Plenary – 3 December 1993 - (file)
Note of the plenary session of the Dublin Castle Summit on 3 December 1993 at 15.00. Includes a paragraph-by-paragraph reading of the Joint Declaration with various amendments proposed.
Meeting between Reynolds and Major: Plenary – 3 December 1993 at 15.00 [Handwritten] - (file)
Handwritten note by Nally of the Plenary Session at 15.00 of the meeting between Reynolds and Major on 3 December 1993 at Dublin Castle.
Prime Minister's Opening Statement [to Press Conference on 3 December 1993] - (file)
A speech headed 'Prime Minister's Opening Statement' and annotated '?3/12/94?' [sic]. Given its position within the file it seems likely to have been a draft of Major's opening statement to the press following the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993.
Programme for a Meeting between Reynolds and Major – 3 December 1993 - (file)
Programme and delegate list for a meeting between Reynolds and Major on 3 December 1993 at Dublin Castle.
Record of Afternoon Plenary Session at the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993 - (file)
Record of afternoon plenary session at 3 December 1993 Anglo-Irish Summit. John Major and Albert Reynolds and ministers and civil servants on both sides. Main topic of meeting was examination and amendment of JD14.
Record of Afternoon Plenary Session on 3 December 1993 - (file)
Provides a summary of the discussion that took place on 3 December 1993 in Dublin in which the British and Irish governments proposed amendments to the text of the Joint Declaration.
Record of the Afternoon Plenary Session of the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993 - (file)
A letter from Jonathan Stephens to Roderic Lyne recording the afternoon Plenary session of the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993. The text of JD14 was under discussion, and both sides proposed amendments. The British government pushed for explicitly referencing the constitutional guarantee, replacing the Irish convention with an offer of exploratory dialogue within three months of violence ending, and an Irish commitment to amend Articles 2 and 3. The Taoiseach claimed the British amendments 'totally and absolutely upended' the balance of the document, and the meeting broke up.
Summary of the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993 - (file)
Summary of the day's events, including timings.
Transcript of Joint Press Conference between John Major and Albert Reynolds on 3 December 1993 - (file)
Transcript of the joint press conference following the Anglo-Irish Summit on 3 December 1993. In the original National Archive file, the document begins at p.3 and then pp.1-2 are at the end. We have reorganized here for ease of use.
Transcript of Joint Press Conference by John Major and Albert Reynolds on 3 December 1993 - (file)
Transcription of the joint press conference given by John Major and Albert Reynolds in Dublin on 3 December 1993 after the working meeting between the British and Irish Governments.
Transcript of Joint Press Conference by John Major and Albert Reynolds on 3 December 1993 - (file)
Transcription of the joint press conference given by John Major and Albert Reynolds in Dublin on 3 December 1993 after the working meeting between the British and Irish Governments. The date on the first page is an error, and should read 3 December 1993.
Transcript of Joint Press Conference by John Major and Albert Reynolds on 3 December 1993 - (file)
Transcription of the joint press conference given by John Major and Albert Reynolds in Dublin on 3 December 1993 after the working meeting between the British and Irish Governments. The date on the first page is an error, and should read 3 December 1993.
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