Sir, - Once the Northern Ireland talks get under way, there are bound to be difficulties surrounding interpretation of the right to self determination. Some observations from the New Ireland Group may be useful when politicians are confronting this "fundamental" human right.
The United Nations' Covenants on Human Rights affirm in Article 1, Clause 1, that: "all peoples have the right to self determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural developments".
This affirmation contains potential for both contradiction and confusion.
If republicans affirm the inalienable right of the people of Ireland to self determination at the same time as loyalists are affirming the inalienable right of the people of Northern Ireland to self determination, such affirmation of the on qua//tied right to self determination could well be a source of conflict rather than of its resolution.
It seems, therefore that the right to self determination requires amendment if it is to meet the needs of a world scene greatly changed since this right was being affirmed primarily in the promotion of decolonisation.
Justification of the right to self determination is deeply rooted in the historical description of democracy as "taking the people into partnership". The democratic right to self determination cannot be used to justify majoritarianism; the validity of the right to self determination rests on the demonstration of consensus for it. This raises the questions - dealt with elsewhere - of what we mean by consensus, how we achieve it and how we assess it. Our conclusion that the democratic right to self determination must indeed be earned through the achievement of consensus finds support in Article 1, Clause 3 of the UN Covenants taken in conjunction with Article 76c of the Charter of the United Nations.
Article 1, Clause 3 of both UN Covenants affirms: "The States Parties to the present Covenants, including those having responsibilities for the administration of nonself governing and trust territories of Northern Ireland shall promote the realisation of self determination and shall respect the right, in conformity with provisions of the Charter of the United Nations".
Article 76c of the Charter of the United Nations asserts the need: "To encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction and to encourage recognition of inter dependence of the peoples over the world".
The right to be tempered by the need to belong with the obligation to share today and conserve for tomorrow would seem to be the ideal basis of consensus. Yours, etc.,
Chairman,
New Ireland Group,
Charlotte Street,
Ballymoney,
Co Antrim.