Meeting with New US Special Envoy to Ireland

14th March 2007

We have met with the new Special Envoy Paula Dobriansky. It was a very important meeting as she is brand new to this post and she will be informing US policy makers around Ireland for some time to come.

The meeting concentrated on ways of dealing with the past. There is no doubt that this is a hot topic with the Governments at the moment as they struggle with the implications of emerging revelations relating to the conflict.

We brought our Eolas discussion paper and outlined the key principles involved from our perspective. Firstly that any process must be independent of any of the actors to our conflict. Currently the entire debate and any movement is in the gift of the British Government - a key actor to the conflict. They are not neutral and cannot take this forward.

Secondly any process must be inclusive of all victims and must be victim centered in line with international principles on the rights of victims.

Ms Dobriansky was well informed and understood the arguments we put forward. We felt that it was an important meeting and one from which we hope to build.

On a final note we had thought that the White House would not issue an invitation to our delegation to their St Patrick's reception - it now looks like this position will change... But more of that tomorrow...

We are getting great support from home including from our sponsors Madden and Finucane Solicitors, Kevin R Winters & Co Solicitors and the Andersonstown News Group.

Mairtín O Muilleoir's blog is always up to date and relevant and kindly gives us a mention today http://apublishersblog.blogspot.com/