THE Forum for Peace and Reconciliation was set up in October 1994 to explore ways in which the Northern Ireland conflict might be resolved. Each delegation, including the SDLP, Alliance Party, Sinn Fein and the parties in the Republic, was invited to produce a policy paper outlining its thinking on a settlement.
Since last summer a drafting committee under the forum chairwoman, Judge Catherine McGuinness, and comprising representatives from each of the delegations has been working towards an agreed document entitled Paths to a Political Settlement in Ireland: Realities, Principles and Requirements.
This document - the most important to come out of the forum - went through about 30 drafts. Sinn Fein representatives participated in the drafting process: some 120 amendments were proposed by Sinn Fein at various times and between 40 and 50 were accepted.
The final version of the document was published yesterday, but Sinn Fein withheld its consent from certain key clauses.