Northern Ireland: Haass Talks End Without Accord

Northern Irish talks aimed at preventing a repeat of the worst sectarian violence since the 1990s broke up without an accord.

Discussions between the region’s political parties halted after they failed to reach agreement on a final set of proposals.

“In some instances, we profoundly disapprove of the language,” Jeffrey Donaldson, a spokesman for the Democratic Unionist Party, said in comments broadcast by Dublin-based broadcaster RTE today.

Former U.S. diplomat Richard Haass chaired talks on issues ranging from parades to protests and flags to emblems after confrontations and riots reminiscent of the worst scenes of the Troubles paralyzed Belfast in July and August.

“All have some concerns,” in relation to the proposals, said Haass, who led the U.S.’s peace efforts in the region between 2001 and 2003.

Originally published on Bloomberg.com.

Photo by Northern Ireland Executive.

The Northern Ireland Office published the proposed agreement , the so-called "Haass document", named after the former US diplomat Richard Haass who chaired the talks together with Meghan O'Sullivan, Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and Director of the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard University's Kennedy School. Haass and O'Sullivan were asked in July by Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers to chair talks aimed at solving the issues of flying flags, controversial parades and the violent past. To read the full propose agreement, please click here.

PN Member Jeffrey Donaldson is DUP Spokesman on Defence, Equality and Energy and Climate Change, and Member of the Defence Select Committee. He was a senior member of the negotiating team in the Northern Ireland constitutional talks and a member of the DUP negotiating team, which participated in the negotiations under the Review of the Belfast Agreement.