This project aims to model 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.

The thirtieth anniversary of the Downing Street Declaration was marked by a panel discussion organised by Quill and ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South) and held at the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) in Dublin. Professor Katy Hayward from Queen's University, Belfast, chaired the conversation with Professor Ian McBride, Seán O’Huiginn, and Sir Jonathan Stephens.

The event show-cased the work of Quill's Writing Peace project. Writing Peace is bringing together archives, private papers, and oral histories from across the political spectrum to provide a fuller context of the Northern Ireland peace process.

You can view a full report of the event here.