SUGGESTIONS by the British and Irish governments that a special committee be established to deal with weapons decommissioning are set to founder in the face of unionist opposition.
The two governments' joint paper, setting out a way to address decommissioning, was published yesterday and was circulated to all the political groupings participating in the multi party talks at Stormont.
The recommendations were presented to the Ulster Unionist Party 10 days ago, but have already been firmly rejected by the party leader, Mr David Trimble.
One of the major elements agreed by the two governments and suggested in the joint paper is the establishment of a committee charged with working to secure the implementation of all aspects of the International Body's Report on Decommissioning chaired by the former US senator, Mr George Mitchell.
The Irish Government was the first to raise the idea of this committee a so called "Fourth Strand" of the Stormont talks, which would deal with decommissioning in tandem with the substantive political dialogue. It was proposed by the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, as a means of getting round the decommissioning stumbling block and strenuously resisted by unionists.
The new committee would be made up of representatives of all the participants in the talks and be chaired by the independent chairman of the talks, Mr Mitchell.
According to the Joint Paper, the governments would make a range of expert personnel" available to the committee, including independent specialists of international standing. This panel of experts would also play an appropriate part" in the work of the Independent Commission which the International Body proposed to oversee decommissioning.
The governments envisage in the Joint Paper that the decommissioning committee would first meet on October 7th or 14th. But this is now an unrealistic prospect, given unionist aversion to the idea and their certain refusal to take part in such a body.
Mr Trimble has said there is no guarantee that anything would ever come out of the committee, and it would be tantamount to "burying" the issue of decommissioning.
In their Joint Paper, London and Dublin also agreed a "working agenda" for the committee. This includes consideration of the two governments' legislative proposals to deal with decommissioning, including draft Bills in the respective parliaments.
The Joint Paper said each government would publish, at the conclusion of the opening plenary session, draft enabling legislation to pave the way for decommissioning. Both governments intend to introduce legislation in this parliamentary session so that the legislative framework 15 enacted by Christmas 1996".
The committee's agenda, according to the Joint Paper, would also cover an examination of the circumstances in which "mutual decommissioning" by republican and loyalist paramilitaries would be expected to occur.
The committee would develop "modalities" for decommissioning as well as determining the "precise functions" of the Independent Commission in respect of each "scheme" for setting down arms and its role in relation to verification of the process.
In addition to drawing up an ongoing review of the implementation of all aspects of the report of the International Body, the committee would seek to reach agreement on "detailed decommissioning arrangements, including commenting on the necessary subordinate legislation".
It would also consider other confidence building measures.
Under the proposals, a plenary session of the talks should be convened in December to "take stock" of progress in the negotiations as a whole, including the work of the committee. It would also be possible, under the rules of procedure, for the plenary to be convened specifically to allow the independent chairman to brief participants on the committee's progress.
Meanwhile, the governments pledged to work constructively and in good faith to secure the implementations of all aspects of the Mitchell Report.