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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:Informal British-Irish Bilaterals
  4. Friday, 10 December 1993, at 11:30

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.

Informal British-Irish Bilaterals

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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Session 22011: 1993-12-10 11:30:00

Roderic Lyne met with Martin Mansergh, Noel Dorr and Seán Ó hUiginn to discuss the Joint Declaration and various proposals of amendment.

Membership (at session start):

David Blatherwick, Robin Butler, David Cooke, John A Dew, Fergus Finlay, Douglas Hurd, Roderic Lyne, Martin Mansergh, Patrick Mayhew, Dermot Nally, Dick Spring, Quentin Thomas, Seán Ó hUiginn (13 total)

Representing 2 delegations:

British Government , Irish Government

Imported Documents

Imported Amendments

Exported Documents

Exported Amendments

  • British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3) (e1288278)
    • Imported by 'British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308121) in Prime Minister-Taoiseach Meetings, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 15:00
    • Imported by 'British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308151) in British Government, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 18:00
    • Imported by 'British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308176) in Irish Government, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 18:00
  • First John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3) (e1291365)
    • Imported by 'First John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308122) in Prime Minister-Taoiseach Meetings, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 15:00
    • Imported by 'First John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308152) in British Government, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 18:00
    • Imported by 'First John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308177) in Irish Government, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 18:00
  • Second Alternative John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3) (e1291366)
    • Imported by 'Second Alternative John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308123) in Prime Minister-Taoiseach Meetings, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 15:00
    • Imported by 'Second Alternative John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308154) in British Government, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 18:00
    • Imported by 'Second Alternative John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1308178) in Irish Government, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 18:00
  • British Government Amendment to 4(1) (e1288287)
  • Irish Government Redraft of British Government Amendment to 4(1) (e1291372)
  • Molyneaux's Deletion of 'Assist' from 4 (e1288289)
  • British Government Deletion from 4(5/6) (e1288281)
  • Irish Government Amendment to British Government Deletion from 4(5/6) (e1291394)
  • Second Alternative Irish Government Amendment to British Government Deletion from 4(5/6) (e1291396)
    • Imported by 'Second Alternative Irish Government Amendment to British Government Deletion from 4(5/6)' (e1308129) in Prime Minister-Taoiseach Meetings, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 15:00
    • Imported by 'Second Alternative Irish Government Amendment to British Government Deletion from 4(5/6)' (e1308161) in British Government, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 18:00
    • Imported by 'Second Alternative Irish Government Amendment to British Government Deletion from 4(5/6)' (e1308184) in Irish Government, on
      Friday, 10 December 1993, at 18:00
  • British Government Amendment to 4(7/8) (e1288292)
  • British Government Amendment to 12(4) (e1288296)
  • Notice of Inclusion of the Magee List (e1288809)
  • New Final Paragraph (e1288813)
  • First Irish Government Correction of Transmission Error (e1291662)
  • British Government Amendment to 13(2) (e1291675)
  • Second Irish Government Correction of Transmission Error (e1291678)
  • British Government Amendment to Strike Out Paragraphs 10 and 11 (e1308117)
  • Further Irish Government Amendment to 12(5) (e1291660)
  • John Hume Amendment to British Government Amendment to 4(1) (e1291375)
  • Deletion of 'as of right' (e1291385)

Resources (18):

Resource Collections (0):

None

Resource Items (18):

Briefing Letter from Jonathan Stephens to Roderic Lyne Regarding the Meeting between John Major and Albert Reynolds at the EC Summit on 10/11 December 1993 - (file)

Describes the objectives of the meeting between John Major and Albert Reynolds at the margins of the EC Summit and lays down the major points of discussion. Encloses a note with detailed points on the topics to be covered and another note with the text along with the amendments proposed by both sides.

Briefing Letter from Jonathan Stephens to Roderic Lyne Regarding the Meeting between John Major and Albert Reynolds at the EC Summit on 10/11 December 1993 - (file)

Describes the objectives of the meeting between John Major and Albert Reynolds at the margins of the EC Summit and lays down the major points of discussion. Encloses a note with detailed points on the topics to be covered and another note with the text along with the amendments proposed by both sides.

Enclosure: Annex A – Points to Make for Meeting between John Major and Albert Reynolds at EC Summit on 10/11 December 1993 - (file)

Points to make in John Major's meeting with Albert Reynolds with regards to the Anglo-Irish talks and the Joint Declaration Initiative.

Enclosure: Annex A – Points to Make for Meeting between John Major and Albert Reynolds at EC Summit on 10/11 December 1993 - (file)

Points to make in John Major's meeting with Albert Reynolds with regards to the Anglo-Irish talks and the Joint Declaration Initiative.

Enclosure: Annex B – Explanatory Note on the Text of JD15 and JD15B - (file)

Points to make in John Major's meeting with Albert Reynolds with regards to the Anglo-Irish talks and the Joint Declaration Initiative. Encloses the proposed text of JD15B with the British and Irish proposed amendments underlined, and the agreed text of the Joint Declaration with the provisionally agreed amendments.

Enclosure: Annex B – Explanatory Note on the Text of JD15 and JD15B - (file)

Points to make in John Major's meeting with Albert Reynolds with regards to the Anglo-Irish talks and the Joint Declaration Initiative. Encloses the proposed text of the JD15 with the British and Irish proposed amendments underlined, and the agreed text of the Joint Declaration with the provisionally agreed amendments.

Enclosure: Annex C – Joint Statement on Northern Ireland, 29 October 1993 - (file)

Joint statement released by both Governments on 29 October 1993.

Enclosure: Annex C – Joint Statement on Northern Ireland, 29 October 1993 - (file)

Joint statement released by both Governments on 29 October 1993.

Enclosure: Briefing Note – Lines to Take on the Joint Declaration in Brussels on 10 December 1993 - (file)

Sets out what the British response should be to the Irish Governments last minute draft changes to the Joint Declaration. British should stay firm on most of the issues as the note underlines "resist" at several points. It also contains some fallbacks if the Irish continue to push for certain changes. Note also contains some brief annotations and lines.

Enclosure: Joint Declaration (JD15) – 7 December 1993 - (file)

Text of the Joint Declaration with provisionally agreed amendments underlined.

Enclosure: Joint Declaration (JD15) – 7 December 1993 - (file)

Text of the Joint Declaration with provisionally agreed amendments underlined.

Enclosure: Joint Declaration (JD15B) – 9 December 1993 - (file)

Text of the Joint Declaration with British proposed amendments underlined in unbroken line and Irish proposed amendments underlined with broken line.

Record of a Meeting between Roderic Lyne and Martin Mansergh, Noel Dorr and Seán Ó hUiginn on 10 December 1993 at 11.30 - (file)

Record of discussion of JD15 from 1130-1400. Roderic Lyne "vs" Martin Mansergh, Noel Dorr and Seán Ó hUiginn. Outline of decisions taken on pending amendments and further amendments made by both sides.

Record of a Meeting between Roderic Lyne and Martin Mansergh, Noel Dorr and Seán Ó hUiginn on 10 December 1993 at 11.30 - (file)

Record of discussion of JD15 from 1130-1400. Roderic Lyne "vs" Martin Mansergh, Noel Dorr and Seán Ó hUiginn. Outline of decisions taken on pending amendments and further amendments made by both sides.

Record of a Meeting between Roderic Lyne and Martin Mansergh, Noel Dorr and Seán Ó hUiginn on 10 December 1993 at 11.30 - (file)

Faded note that records a meeting involving delegations from both the British and Irish Government. They debated changes to the Joint Declaration draft 15 closely and specifically. Includes some written ticks.

Record of a Meeting between Roderic Lyne, Seán Ó hUiginn, Martin Mansergh and Noel Dorr on 10 December 1993 at 11.30 - (file)

Record of discussion of JD15 from 1130-1400. Roderic Lyne "vs" Martin Mansergh, Noel Dorr and Seán Ó hUiginn. Outline of decisions taken on pending amendments and further amendments made by both sides.

Summary Record of Joint Declaration Meetings in Brussels on 10 and 11 December 1993 - (file)

Reports the discussions on the margins of the European Council between the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach. Encloses a minute of these exchanges.

Summary Record of Joint Declaration Meetings on 10/11 December 1993 in Brussels - (file)

Overview of discussions in Brussels on 10/12/1993 and 11/12/1993. Provides a summary of the "upshot of the three meetings", mainly around relations with the Irish government. Letter encloses a more detailed account of the second meeting (filed below)

Summary of events in this session:

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Decisions:

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List of proposals referred

List of postpone debate voted on

List of other proposals voted on

Procedure:

List of procedural motion

List of motions debated

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