Editing Northern Ireland peace process (section)

===Towards a ceasefire===
{{Main|Downing Street Declaration}}
In 1994, talks between the leaders of the two main [[Irish nationalism|Irish nationalist]] parties in [[Northern Ireland]], [[John Hume]] of the [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]] (SDLP), and [[Gerry Adams]] of [[Sinn Féin]] (SF), continued. These talks led to a series of joint statements on how the violence might be brought to an end. The talks had been going on since the late 1980s and had secured the backing of the [[Government of Ireland|Irish government]] through an intermediary, the priest [[Alec Reid]].

In November it was revealed that the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]] had also been in talks with the Provisional IRA, although they had long denied it.

On Wednesday 15 December 1993, the [[Downing Street Declaration]] was issued by [[John Major]], [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]], and [[Albert Reynolds]], [[Taoiseach]], on behalf of the British and Irish governments. This included statements that:
*The British government had no "selfish strategic or economic" interest in Northern Ireland. This statement would lead, eventually, to the repeal of the [[Government of Ireland Act 1920]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/10-11/67/contents|title=Government of Ireland Act 1920 (repealed 2.12.1999)|publisher=Government of Ireland|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=19 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019214524/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/10-11/67/contents|url-status=live}}</ref>
*The British government would uphold the right of the people of Northern Ireland to decide between the [[Acts of Union 1800|Union]] with Great Britain or a [[united Ireland]].
*The people of the island of Ireland, North and South, had the exclusive right to solve the issues between North and South by mutual consent.<ref>
Peatling, Gary (2004). ''The failure of the Northern Ireland peace process''. Irish Academic Press, p. 58. {{ISBN|0-7165-3336-7}}</ref><ref>Cox, Michael, Guelke, Adrian and Stephen, Fiona (2006). ''A farewell to arms?: beyond the Good Friday Agreement''. Manchester University Press, p. 486. {{ISBN|0-7190-7115-1}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The British government agree that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts respectively, to exercise their right of self- determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given, North and South, to bring about a united Ireland, if that is their wish. |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199394/cmhansrd/1993-12-15/Debate-1.html |access-date=22 October 2019 |archive-date=10 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010094440/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199394/cmhansrd/1993-12-15/Debate-1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*The Irish government would try to address [[Unionism in Ireland|unionist]] fears of a united Ireland by amending the [[Constitution of Ireland|Irish Constitution]] according to the [[principle of consent]]. This would lead, eventually, to the modification of the [[Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland|Articles 2 and 3]].
*A united Ireland could only be brought about by peaceful means.
*Peace must involve a permanent end to the use of, or support for, [[paramilitary]] violence.

[[Ian Paisley]] of the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP) opposed the Declaration, [[James Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead|James Molyneaux]] of the [[Ulster Unionist Party]] (UUP) argued that it was not a "sell-out" of unionists, and Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin requested dialogue with the governments and clarification of the Declaration.