- Monday, 18 October 1993, at 14:00
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.
British-Molyneaux Bilaterals
This committee has been created to model bilateral contacts between James Molyneaux and the British government.
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Session 21717: 1993-10-18 14:00:00
[Exact time unknown] John Major met with Jim Molyneaux in the afternoon to brief him, on a privy council basis, on the Joint Declaration. He was shown an intelligence assessment and the text of JD12A. His assessment of the initiative was overwhelmingly negative.
Imported Documents
- Revised Intelligence Assessment of PIRA Attitude to the Joint Declaration (e1070311) imports from British Government,
on Monday, 18 October 1993, at 12:00 - Joint Declaration: JD12A (e1070316) imports from British Government,
on Monday, 18 October 1993, at 12:00
Imported Amendments
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Exported Amendments
Resources (9):
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Resource Items (9):
Enclosure: Annotated Copy of the Joint Declaration (JD12) for the Use of John Major - (file)
Draft of Joint Declaration containing reassuring footnotes about the constitutional guarantee, the consent principle, and the limits of the language used. To be shown to Jim Molyneaux during meeting but not for his retention.
Enclosure: Intelligence Assessment of Provisional IRA Response to Joint Declaration Initiative - (file)
British intelligence assesssment of the mindset of the Provisional leadership. Takes into account contextual events including previous ceasefires, dialogue between Hume and Adams, the softening of the previous PIRA demand for British withdrawal in 1991-2, and a general softening in the public pronouncements of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness particularly regarding the Unionists. Conclusion is that Sinn Fein/PIRA feel war weary and politically marginalised. Further conclusion is that they are serious about ending violence. The assessment is also positive about the cessation of responsive Loyalist violence if the Provisional leadership is successful in carrying most brigades with them.
Enclosure: Joint Declaration Draft (JD12A) as Shown to Jim Molyneaux - (file)
A draft of the JDI (JD12) which was shown to Jim Molyneaux and not to the Irish side.
Enclosure: Joint Declaration to be Shown to Jim Molyneaux [JD12A] - (file)
Copy of Joint Declaration enclosed with other documents but lacking the footnotes of the earlier enclosure. These seem to have been inserted to clarfiy language and reassure Unionists/Jim Molyneaux about the limits of the Joint Declaration.
Enclosure: Speaking Note for John Major ahead of a Meeting with Jim Molyneaux - (file)
Focusses on UK legislative procedures, mentioning a Select Committee and the possibility og legislating by Bill. Also discusses Joint Declaration offering reassurances about genuine possibility for peace and noting its limits; the Unionists are not being tricked or led up the hill.
Fax from Quentin Thomas to David Cooke Enclosing a Paper Assessing Unionist Reaction to the Joint Declaration - (file)
Paper intended ultimately for the Taoiseach as evidence to support the British prediction of a dangerous loyalist backlash following Joint Declaration publication.
Joint Declaration: JD12 as Amended to Be Shown to Jim Molyneaux (JD12A) - (file)
This draft of the Joint Declaration has 'JD12' added in pen in the top right-hand corner and 'as shown to Molyneaux' added below in pencil. No date or other contextual information has been given here. The text is substantially that of JD12, but has been amended to remove the words 'freely and collectively' from paragraph 4: see also CJ 4/10482.
Minute from Jonathan Stephens to Roderic Lyne Enclosing Briefing Documents for John Major in Advance of a Meeting with Jim Molyneaux - (file)
Fax offers advice to Downing Street about how to handle Molyneaux and reassure him about the Joint Declaration. A key point is to emphasise the assessment of an historic opportunity for peace and to distance the Initiative from Hume/Adams. Documents are enclosed (speaking note, intelligence report, draft of JDI) to show Molyneaux during the meeting.
Record of a Meeting between Jim Molyneaux and John Major on 18 October 1993 - (file)
The British showed Molyneaux the Irish assessment that the PIRA might agree to a cessation of violence following an Anglo-Irish Joint Statement. A British intelligence report to back this up was shown as well. Molyneaux expressed reservations. After a viewing of the JDI text he concluded that it was unnacceptable to Unionist opinion in its current form. It was resolved that Molyneaux would think about how to modify the text to bridge the gap between Unionist opinion and the Irish government.
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Events (19)
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