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.
This committee has been created to model bilateral contact between British and Irish government delegates which happened outside of the more formal structures set up for intergovernmental negotiation. These informal meetings were sometimes crucial to the development of the Joint Declaration.
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[Exact time unknown] Robin Butler met with Martin Mansergh to discuss the working text of the Joint Declaration and exchange amendments.
Membership (at session start):
David Blatherwick, David Cooke, John A Dew, Fergus Finlay, Douglas Hurd, Roderic Lyne, Martin Mansergh, Patrick Mayhew, Dermot Nally, Dick Spring, Quentin Thomas, Seán Ó hUiginn (12 total)
Representing 2 delegations:
British Government , Irish Government
Imported Documents
Imported Amendments
Exported Documents
Exported Amendments
Resources (11):
Resource Collections (0):
None
Resource Items (11):
Text of the Joint Declaration with British proposed amendments underlined in unbroken line and Irish proposed amendments underlined with broken line.
Contains the text of the Joint Declaration with amendments proposed by the British Government, the Irish Government and James Molyneaux clearly marked. Annotated. Page 5 and 6 identical. Page 8 contains revised version of paragraphs 10 and 11, as proposed by the Irish Government.
Contains the text of the Joint Declaration with amendments proposed by the British Government, the Irish Government and James Molyneaux clearly marked. Annotated. Page 7 contains revised version of paragraphs 10 and 11, as proposed by the Irish Government.
Only 4 out of the 6 pages of the document are present here. Comments marked E are from Martin Mansergh. It also includes some additions made by ministers in a morning meeting, and those by Jim Molyneaux deriving from a meeting with Michael Ancram marked M.
He attaches a working draft of JD15 with amendments agreed by ministers in a morning meeting, plus two coming from Jim Molyneaux. In this meeting, Mansergh gave him some further comments marked E in the text. They discussed his slight concerns over paragraph 4 and the Irish amendments to the text. Before finally dealing with the question of an Irish Convention, the practicalities of when to launch the Joint Declaration, and a meeing between the Irish and John Hume.
Text of JD15 with British proposed amendments underlined with unbroken line and Irish proposed amendments underlined with broken line.
British amendments focus on paragraph 4 with a reiteration of the British neutrality statement made by Peter Brooke on the 9 November 1991. There is also a remodelling of paragraph 11, where there is an expectation that the Irish side will flesh it out.
A clean copy of JD15B, with the Irish amendments and the British amendments marked in broken and unbroken line respectively.
A copy of JD15B, headed 9 December 1993. Including proposed British and Irish amendments, marked.
Provides an account of the meeting between Robin Butler and Martin Mansergh regarding the amendments in the draft of the Joint Declaration. Encloses the text of the Joint Declaration with the amendments proposed by the British Government, and with sections with amendments proposed by James Molyneaux and the Irish Government marked. Addressed to Roderic Lyne, and also sent to John Sawers and Jonathan Stephens. Some text illegible and highlighted.
Provides an account of the meeting between Robin Butler and Martin Mansergh regarding the amendments in the draft of the Joint Declaration. Encloses the text of the Joint Declaration with the amendments proposed by the British Government, and with sections with amendments proposed by James Molyneaux and the Irish Government marked. Addressed to Roderic Lyne, and also sent to John Sawers and Jonathan Stephens. Some text highlighted.
Summary of events in this session:
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