Quill
  1. Overview: Northern Ireland Downing Street Joint Declaration (1993)
  2. Full Record: Northern Ireland Downing Street Joint Declaration (1993)
  3. Committee:British Government
  4. Thursday, 09 December 1993, at 15:00

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 Government

This committee has been created to model internal British Government documents and meetings.

Visualize

To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.

Session 29270: 1993-12-09 15:00:00

[Exact time unknown] Michael Ancram reported back two amendments from his non-meeting with Jim Molyneaux. Nicholas Lyell, the attorney general, wrote to John Major with his comments on the legal ramifications of certain phrases in JD15.

Membership (at session start):

Michael Ancram, Kenneth Baker, Tony Beeton, David Blatherwick, John Blelloch, Ian Burns, Robin Butler, John Chilcot, Ken Clarke, David Cooke, Jim Daniell, Timothy Daunt, John Deverell, David Fell, William Fittall, David Gillmore, Christopher Glyn-Jones, Richard Gozney, Michael Howard, Douglas Hurd, Roderic Lyne, John Major, Jonathan Margetts, Peter May, Patrick Mayhew, John McConnell, David McIlroy , Danny McNeill, R. O. Miles, Anthony Pawson, Christopher Prentice , Stephen Rickard, Malcolm Rifkind , A W Stephens, Jonathan Stephens, Quentin Thomas, Stephen Wall (37 total)

Representing 1 delegations:

British Government

Imported Documents

Imported Amendments

Exported Documents

Exported Amendments

  • Molyneaux's Deletion of 'Assist' from 4 (e1288259)
  • British Government Amendment to 12(4) (e1287011)
  • Further British Government Amendment to 4(7/8) (e1287005)
  • British Government Amendment to 4(1) (e1108577)
  • British Government Amendment to 12(5) (e1107926)
  • British Government Amendment to 4(7/8) (e1107934)
  • British Government Deletion from 4(5/6) (e1107916)
  • British Government Addition to 3 (e1107891)
  • British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3) (e1108728)
    • Imported by 'British Government Amendment to Alternative Reaffirmation of Constitutional Guarantee in 2(3)' (e1288278) in Informal British-Irish Bilaterals, on
      Thursday, 09 December 1993, at 18:00

Resources (6):

Resource Collections (0):

None

Resource Items (6):

Enclosure: Joint Declaration with Amendments Proposed on 9 December 1993 (JD15A) - (file)

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.

Enclosure: Joint Declaration with Amendments Proposed on 9 December 1993 (JD15A) - (file)

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.

Note from Nicholas Lyell to John Major Regarding the Joint Declaration Initiative, 9 December 1993 - (file)

This note, addressed to John Major, records the Attorney General's comments on the legal ramifications of the Joint Declaration. The key potential issue he identifies is the 'as of right' clause in paragraph 4.

Note from Nicholas Lyell to John Major Regarding the Joint Declaration Initiative, 9 December 1993 - (file)

As Attorney General, Lyell's concerns centre around paragraph 4 and constitutional law.

Record of a Meeting between Robin Butler and Martin Mansergh on 9 December 1993 - (file)

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.

Record of a Meeting between Robin Butler and Martin Mansergh on 9 December 1993 - (file)

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:

Individuals:

0 0 0 0

List of people joining the committee

List of people leaving the committee

List of people elected to a position

Documents:

0 0 0

List of proposals created

List of proposals amended

List of proposals copied

List of proposals imported

List of proposals to be voted on

List of proposals debated

Decisions:

List of proposals adopted

List of proposals rejected

List of proposals dropped

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

View event descriptions

Events (20)

Previous

session

Next

session

Icon key

Person joining a committee

Person leaving a committee

Person elected to a position

A new document introduced

An amendment proposed

A document introduced from another committee

A revision of another document begun

Amendment imported from another committee

Proposal Debated

Drop a proposal

Refer a proposal

Adopt a proposal

Other vote (continue debate)

Reject a proposal

Postpone debate on a proposal

Procedural motion introduced

Procedural Motion Debated

Procedural motion with sub-decisions