The powers and authority of the proposed North-South ministerial council will be outlined by the British and Irish governments next week in an effort to inject fresh momentum into the talks process.
In the face of escalating violence, a joint paper will be tabled when the talks switch to London on Monday. The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, is expected to attend the afternoon session at Lancaster House. In a further development yesterday, the Sinn Fein president, Mr Adams, accused the UDA-UFF of being involved in some of the killings, but he also said their political representatives in the Ulster Democratic Party should not be excluded from the talks.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, yesterday said recent sectarian killings would not destroy the peace process although he described the current situation as difficult and very serious.
Mr Blair called for an end to the violence. "It is so important that we move this process on and that we show people they can have confidence in the future in Northern Ireland and that these wretched people - these wicked and evil people - who are committing these killings in a bid to stop the process of talking, to halt the process of democracy are not going to succeed."
Senior political sources said the paper on the North-South body would be closely modelled on the Propositions on Heads of Agreement presented to the talks last Monday week.
That document aroused great controversy because republicans felt it did not provide for the exercise of executive powers by the North-South council, whereas some unionists believed such powers were, in fact, envisaged.
In their discussion paper, the two governments will suggest how the council might operate in practice. Republicans had complained the body would derive its authority from and be subject to a Northern Ireland Assembly, thus foreclosing any possibility it might facilitate a transition to a future united Ireland.
It is understood the two governments will ask the parties to discuss a proposal that ministers and civil servants from Dublin and a future Belfast administration would have a "duty of service", obliging them to seek the implementation of joint decisions.
The paper is expected to outline the range of comparatively non-controversial issues which the council might deal with. Tourism, culture, heritage, education, marine research and agriculture have been mentioned. There would be a strong European Union dimension, both in funding and in design.
Relations between the council and other bodies such as the Oireachtas, the proposed Northern Ireland Assembly and other institutions in Britain and Europe will also be covered. The paper is not expected to go into detail on the relationship with the so-called "Council of the Isles".
The question of supporting bodies and agencies is also likely to be dealt with. It is expected the governments will outline a "failsafe" or "fallback" mechanism to be brought into operation if the council did not function effectively, e.g. if its activities were frustrated in a mischievous way by the Northern Ireland Assembly or the Oireachtas.
In language apparently intended to reassure republicans, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, told delegates "any new agreement must have as its fundamental basis the need for profound change".
Talks insiders said there had been a subtle but significant shift in relations between the Ulster Unionist Party and Sinn Fein. Although the UUP delegation is still not directly addressing or holding meetings with Sinn Fein, on Monday it commented through the chair on issues which had previously been raised by the republicans. Given the frosty relations between the two parties up to now, this was seen as a potentially important development.
There was speculation in Belfast yesterday that, contrary to previous expectations, Mr Blair would not make an announcement on Bloody Sunday in the House of Commons today. Mr Ahern is to lay a wreath at the Bloody Sunday memorial in Derry on Friday morning.
Blair playing for time on Bloody Sunday; Loyalist leaders fear in- creasing links between UDA dissidents and LVF: page 8; Ahern says would-be destroyers of talks must not succeed; White House rejects Seitz claims: page 9; Editorial comment: page 17.