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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:Butler-Nally Meetings
  4. Monday, 13 December 1993, at 15:45

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.

Butler-Nally Meetings

This committee has been created to model meetings of the Butler/Nally Group, which was one of the key structures in the drafting of the Declaration. From Autumn 1993 onwards, Chilcot and Ó hUiginn were also part of the negotiating team working on the Joint Declaration.

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Session 22014: 1993-12-13 15:45:00

Robin Butler and Dermot Nally met to discuss the text of the Joint Declaration. They narrowed the issues down to '2 1/2 substantive points'.

Membership (at session start):

Robin Butler, John Chilcot, Dermot Nally, Seán Ó hUiginn (4 total)

Representing 2 delegations:

British Government , Irish Government

Imported Documents

Imported Amendments

  • Irish Government Amendment to British Government Amendment to Second Alternative Irish Government Amendment to British Government Deletion from 4(5/6) (e1344249) imports from Butler-Nally Meetings,
    on Monday, 13 December 1993, at 09:30

Exported Documents

Exported Amendments

Resources (8):

Resource Collections (0):

None

Resource Items (8):

Draft Joint Declaration (JD15 with amendments made on 12 December 1993) - (link)

Photocopied draft Joint Declaration by Albert Reynolds and John Major, marked "J.D. 15", containing twelve paragraphs, with handwritten amendments, comments and notes by Dermot Nally. Some of the amendments (in blue) reflect a Robin Butler-Dermot Nally meeting and another set (in black) are labelled "M/M (Phone) on 12/12/93".

Enclosure: Joint Declaration (Amended Copy of JD15) as Discussed between Butler and Nally on 13 December 1993 - (link)

JD15. Heavily annotated in pen

Joint Declaration: Alternatives to paragraphs 10-12, 13 December 1993 - (link)

Proposed alternatives to paragraphs 10-12 of the draft declaration with two amendments in blue pen.

Joint Declaration: New final paragraph, 13 December 1993 - (link)

Proposed new final paragraph for the Joint Declaration, with small amendments suggested by Robin Butler.

Note from Dermot Nally to Albert Reynolds on outstanding Joint Declaration issues following a meeting on 13 December 1993 - (link)

Note by Dermot Nally of outstanding issues with the wording of the Joint Declaration following another conversation with Robin Butler.

Record of a Butler/Nally Meeting on 13 December 1993 at 15.45 - (link)

They spoke about the fact that Unionists had become agitated by selective quoting of elements of the text on self-determination, before moving on the substance of the text where Nally made a series of points. Enclosed is a copy of the working text (JD. 15)

Record of a Meeting between Robin Butler and Dermot Nally on 13 December 1993 and Enclosing JD15 as Discussed during the Meeting - (link)

Record of a conversation with Mr Nally at 1545 regarding Joint Declaration and wording of some paragraphs; possible meeting between PM and Taoiseach arranged; Enclosed working text: CJ410562_34_Enclosed Amended Joint Declaration JD15 As Discussed Between Butler And Nally - 13 December 1993

Working Copy of the Joint Declaration (JD15 – 7 December 1993) as Amended in the Butler/Nally Meeting on 13 December 1993 - (link)

Heavily annotated and includes a new paragraph 11.

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