FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE EU TURKEY AND THE KURDS

FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE EU, TURKEY AND THE KURDS
These initial talks were aimed at establishing key principles which would inform the
negotiation process and build confidence. They gave rise to the issuing of a joint statement
known as the Groote Schuur Minute: ‘The government and the ANC agree on
a common commitment towards the resolution of the existing climate of violence and
intimidation, from whatever quarter, as well as a commitment to stability and to a
peaceful process of negotiation.’
The Minute went on to deal with the establishment of a working group to make recommendations
on the definition of political offences, the release of political prisoners,
the granting of immunity, and the return of exiles. Both government and the ANC
agreed to establish channels of communication to curb violence and intimidation.
The next important meeting was held in Pretoria in August 1990. The Pretoria Minute
recorded that ‘the ANC had suspended the armed struggle and the South African
government had committed itself to suspend the state of emergency as early as possible.
The third formal meeting between the ANC and government was held in Cape Town
in February 1991 and concluded with the DF Malan Accord, signed by De Klerk and
Mandela. It recorded that the meeting had received the report of the working group
set up to deal with matters raised in Pretoria, and to identify problem areas and generally
to assist in taking the negotiation process further.
Similarly in Northern Ireland substantive negotiations were preceded by agreements
that would build confidence. A difference though is that these agreements were
achieved through shuttle diplomacy. Some unionist parties refused to engage directly
with republican Sinn Fein and in fact maintained that position throughout most of
the substantive negotiations although they eventually were prepared to sit in the same
room, but only engage through the facilitator.
Prior to the commencement of the negotiations in Northern Ireland, Senator George
Mitchell, the chief facilitator, required from all the parties that they commit to what
became known as the Mitchell Principles of Democracy and Non Violence namely:
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1. Democratic and exclusively peaceful means of resolving political issues;
2. The total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations;
3. That such disarmament must be verifiable to the satisfaction of an independent
commission;
4. Renounce for themselves, and to oppose any effort by others, to use force,
or threaten to use force, to influence the course or the outcome of all-party
negotiations;
5. Agree to abide by the terms of any agreement reached in all-party negotiations
and to resort to democratic and exclusively peaceful methods in trying to alter
any aspect of that outcome with which they may disagree; and