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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:Prime Minister-Taoiseach Meetings
  4. Friday, 26 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.

Prime Minister-Taoiseach Meetings

This committee has been created to model meetings between the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach.

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Session 21822: 1993-11-26 12:00:00

[Exact time unknown] Robin Butler and David Blatherwick met Albert Reynolds to hand over an alternative British draft of the Joint Declaration and a letter from John Major explaining that he thought JD14 would not be saleable to the Unionists, and laying out the rationale behind the alternative draft. Reynolds was very angry.

Membership (at session start):

John Major, Albert Reynolds (2 total)

Representing 2 delegations:

British Government , Irish Government

Imported Documents

Imported Amendments

Exported Documents

  • Joint Declaration: Alternative British Draft (e1072079)

Exported Amendments

Resources (8):

Resource Collections (0):

None

Resource Items (8):

Enclosure: Alternative British Draft of the Joint Declaration - (file)

The alternative British draft of the Joint Declaration from 25 November 1993. This had been rejected by the Taoiseach but was provided as a useful source of British phraseology.

Enclosure: Alternative British Draft of the Joint Declaration as Revised on 25 November 1993 - (file)

Possibly enclosed with the above(?) A 25 November 1993 draft of the alternative British draft. Clean copy.

Enclosure: Letter from John Major to Albert Reynolds to be Delivered by Robin Butler - (file)

Major sets the context for this British draft Joint Declaration by outlining the events of the past week. These include the Hume/Adams statement and the exposure of the existence of Irish-British talk, which prompted a backlash from the Unionists. He fears that unless the Declaration is now significantly altered, the Unionists will assume it is heavily influenced by Hume and Adams and therefore Republican leaning. Butler is tasked with explaining this new draft.

Enclosure: Speaking Note for Robin Butler on the Alternative British Draft of the Joint Declaration - (file)

This note outlines how Butler (or others) should explain John Major's letter an attached British draft of the Joint Declaration. It delves into further detail than the letter on the various stumbling blocks and difficulties encountered in the recent weeks, including the Hume/Adams statement and the Irish Press leak. The note also outlines the key syntax and substance differences between the two texts, such as the explicit statement of a constitutional guarantee.

Letter from David Blatherwick to Robin Butler Regarding a Meeting with Albert Reynolds on 26 November 1993 - (file)

A supplementary note in response to Robin Butler's note, adding a couple of observations. He attributes Reynolds' anger at the new draft in part to annoyance caused by 'overinterpretation' of the Brussels statement by HMG, as well as the PIRA messages.

Letter from Roderic Lyne to Melanie Leech Amending Robin Butler's Speaking Notes for His Visit to Dublin - (file)

An adjustment to Robin Butler's speaking notes for the handover meeting of the alternative British draft, designed to bring them in line with the new 25 November 1993 version of the text.

Meeting in Reynolds' Office – 26 November 1993 - (file)

Photocopied note by Ó hUiginn of a meeting in Reynolds’ office on 26 November 1993, between Reynolds, Mansergh, and Ó hUiginn on the Irish side and Butler and Blatherwick on the UK side. Items discussed include communications between the UK government and the IRA; Molyneaux and the Unionists' position; the UK version of the draft declaration (25 November 1993); the upcoming summit; and questions about the role of the UK security services.

Speaking Note for Robin Butler's Meeting with Albert Reynolds - (file)

A speaking note introducing the alternative British draft of the Joint Declaration. Explaining that it seems the current draft would not be acceptable to Unionists, especially since the 25 September 1993 Hume/Adams comments and the difficulty of detaching the Joint Declaration from Hume/Adams. The leak of the Framework Agreement Irish draft is also cited. Goes through the Communiqué and the Annex and explains the crossover with JD14.

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