Record of informal discussion on procedural guidelines and agenda for plenary session on 25 June 1996 at 14.35

This document contains the summary record of the informal discussion on procedural guidelines and the agenda for the plenary session that took place on 25 June 1996. Peter Robinson brought up the outstanding issue of the Ground Rules and how its position as the seemingly authoritative text seemed to be hanging over the process. David Trimble suggested that it might be useful for the delegates to go over the Ground Rules and the proposed amendments paragraph by paragraph as it would allow them to define the position of the Ground Rules and the rules of procedure text; this approach was seconded by several delegates and contested by Robert McCartney, who wanted the status of the Ground Rules defined at the outset. McCartney also referred to Mervyn Taylor's opening remarks and asked Taylor to identify rules which the Irish Government considered "fundamental", and also to elaborate on paragraph 5 of his speaking note. Reg Empey spoke about how the problem they were facing was not merely legal but also political, and that the unionists did not want a paper they did not draft to constrain the discussion they wanted to have. Seamus Mallon criticized the UUP for cherry-picking parts of the Ground Rules and asked for clarification about the Ground Rules that were not acceptable to them. He also confirmed that any compromise on the Ground Rules would affect SDLP's attitude towards the negotiations. Ancram reassured the delegates that the Ground Rules contained only the aspirations of the Governments, and paragraph 17a clearly noted that no outcome was premeditated. Robinson and Empey, seconded by Mccartney, identified three types of provisions within the Ground Rules - the provisions that the Governments have imported into rules of procedure amendments, the provisions which expressed the Governments' aspirations and which did not concern the delegates, and the the ground rules which the Irish Government identified as fundamental to the process and not up for compromise. They demanded that the last of these categories be identified. Bronagh Hinds recommended that they proceed with a discussion of the draft rules of procedure, but this was contested by Ian Paisley, who did not want to move on before clarifying the issue on the table. The Chairman adjourned the meeting at 16.00.

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Introductory Informal Discussions on Procedural Guidelines and Agenda 1996-06-25 14:35

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Writing Peace: George J. Mitchell Collection

Record of informal discussion on procedural guidelines and agenda for plenary session on 25 June 1996 at 14.35

Wednesday, 26 June 1996

Writing Peace: George J. Mitchell Collection