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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. Friday, 01 October 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 21660: 1993-10-01 12:00:04

[Editorial session] JD9 as considered by Thomas and Ó hUiginn in their informal bilateral meeting became the most up-to-date version of the Joint Declaration. We have created this session to show it being on the table for the next meeting.

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 (4):

Covering Fax from Quentin Thomas Regarding a Meeting with Seán Ó hUiginn and the JD9 draft - (link)

Thomas mentions this meeting in a letter to Robin Butler on the same date. A record of the meeting with Seán Ó hUiginn and JD9 are both enclosed.

Enclosure: Draft Joint Declaration (JD9) - (link)

This incorporates changes to the wording and structure of paragraph 4. The British rejected this still largely on the grounds that there contains no constitutional guarantee.

Enclosure: Record of a Meeting between Quentin Thomas and Seán Ó hUiginn on 1 October 1993 - (link)

Thomas restated the British position on not talking to the Provisional IRA, before they delved into the Hume/Adams talks and how this might impact the joint declaration. After discussing how a ceasefire might be actually enforced, they turned to the prospect of a Permanent Irish Convention. Finally, they spoke about the differences between JD8 and 9.

Joint Declaration (JD9) As Confirmed by the Irish Government on 1 October 1993 - (link)

Difficulties would center around paragraph 4 of the document, as well as some of the more wordy sections of the document.

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