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This collection was catalogued and the metadata was recorded by Antoine Yenk. The cover photograph is copyright Daphne Trimble, used with permission.

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Alliance decommissioning proposals, October 1996

Writing Peace: David Trimble Collection

The Alliance Party's paper on decommissioning, dated October 1996, outlines the concept and importance of decommissioning in the Northern Ireland peace process. Decommissioning refers to the neutralization of paramilitary weaponry, distinct from the usual security measures of confiscating illegal arms. The term was chosen to avoid the connotations of military defeat associated with 'disarmament.' The paper argues that while decommissioning alone cannot resolve the conflict, it can build trust and confidence essential for political progress. The Alliance Party emphasizes that decommissioning should be pursued alongside negotiations, as recommended by the Mitchell Report, which proposed mutual decommissioning by paramilitary groups during talks. The document reviews various international experiences with disarmament, noting that each conflict is unique and that Northern Ireland's situation does not fit neatly into the ''RealPolitik'' model of conflict resolution. Instead, it advocates for a Democratic approach, where parties negotiate based on democratic mandates rather than military strength. The paper also discusses the practical challenges of verifying and ensuring the equivalence of decommissioned weapons, proposing an independent international commission to oversee the process. The Alliance Party concludes that while decommissioning is not a panacea, it is a crucial confidence-building measure that can support a broader political settlement in Northern Ireland.

mitchell principles paramilitary activity (republican) inclusion/exclusion of parties decommissioning paramilitary activity (loyalist)

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i27430
Item Number
034a
Lever Arch File 01
96 1995 - 1996
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  • Alliance

McClay Library and Archives, Queen's University Belfast, digitized by the Quill Project at https://quillproject.net/resource_collections/384/.

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