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These papers were digitized by Dr Shelley Deane, Annabel Harris, Isha Pareek, Antoine Yenk, Ruth Murray and Eleanor Williams. We are very grateful to the library and archives staff at Bowdoin College for all their kindness and help in assembling this material, particularly Kat Stefko and Anne Sauer.
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From: EVANS To: Date: 7/11/97 Time: 12:37:18 Page 2 of 2
LABOUR Block B, Castle Buildings Stormont, Belfast Tel 01232 522229, Fax 01232 768960
07/11/97 RIGHTS AND SAFEGUARDS - STRAND 2. Submission by LABOUR.
1. As we have stated\, we believe there are a number of fundamental principles that determine the details of the agreement that needs to be reached in Strand 2\, a) The people of Northern Ireland alone have the right to determine their future, b) The rights of minorities must be guaranteed and protected, c) North/south bodies need to be developed where they will serve the mutual interests of both parts of Ireland. They should be facilitated to expand their role as required. They should have executive powers whilst being under the supervision of the two govemments and requiring the conjoint approval of the two governments at all stages. 2. The rights and safeguards concern the protection of these principles and insuring that they are implemented according to the spirit and intention of the any agreement. 3. The problem is complicated by the question of where authority will rest in the north dimension of this relationship. It is intended that authority over many questions will move step by step formally and actually to the new Assembly that is proposed. 4. It is one thing for an agreement to be reached between the British and Irish governments\, whose nature is known and who have worked together over a long period of time. It is a very different thing when this agreement is partly with an untried body whose membership and activities will have an unpredictable dimension. 5. This is one of the reasons why it will be necessary to continue the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference\, and for this body to have the right\, for a transition period\, to consider all relevant issues. 6. As we have said elsewhere\, the Conference should become transparent and open\, and there should be involvement of Northern Ireland democratic bodies and social partners in its work. 7. The following is a list of further proposals\, a) The removal of articles 2 and 3 from the Irish Constitution and with it the removal of state sympathy and support for the right to interfere in the internal affairs of Northern Ireland. b) An equivalent declaration of intention to work to end the unprincipled distrust of the motives of the south. So that people on all sides are encouraged to understand and accept the real support for mutual respect and for equal cooperation that exists throughout Ireland. c) The introduction, north and south, of legislation on civil and individual rights, backed by effective measures to insure that this legislation is enforced and violations punished. d) The continuation of the presence of Senator Mitchell and his team, or an equivalent, to be available to assist arbitration for a transition period of say, 2 years. e) Formal and actual support for the judicial and police systems north and south, by all participants. f) Legislation to guarantee the right to a regular referendum in the north on its political future if requested by a significant proportion of the people or their elected representatives.
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This document, presented by Labour, describes their position on rights and safeguards in relation to Strand 2. Labour noted that the question of the implementation of rights and safeguards in Northern Ireland was complicated by the question of where the authority lay in the north. They proposed that the British-Irish Intergovernmental Coferences be continued and be allowed to consider issues relating to rights during a transition period while the new Assembly was gaining its footing. Other proposals included the removal of articls 2 and 3 from the Irish Constitution, the continuation of the presence of George Mitchell's team or an equivalent group to act as arbitrator, and new legislation to guarantee the right to a regular referendum in Northern Ireland on its political future.
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The Quill Project has received one-time, non-exclusive use of the papers in this collection from Bowdoin College Library to make them available online as part of Writing Peace.
Subseries 2 (M202.7.2) Commission Documents (1995-1998), Series 7 (M202.7) Northern Ireland Records (1995-2008), George J. Mitchell Papers, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine, digitized by the Quill Project at https://quillproject.net/resource_collections/125.