Northern Ireland's politicians and the British and Irish governments need to firm-up proposals for a truth and reconciliation commission, SDLP leader Mark Durkan said last night.
Mr Durkan told a peace process conference at Stormont that too little had been done to address the suffering of victims and survivors of events during the Troubles.
"Victims and survivors have been treated by turns dismissively and patronisingly," the SDLP leader said.
"Their genuine grievances have been largely overlooked in a process that has given its attention not to them but to brinksmen and backwoodsmen.
"There is a clear need now for a truth-telling process designed by victims and survivors, en-dorsed by victims and survivors, for victims and survivors. (There is a need for) an honest and open process with the best interests of all those who have a truth to tell and a truth to hear at heart.
"This is a major challenge for this community but it is one we cannot ignore any longer. Its time has come."
Mr Durkan said his party had proposed during negotiations leading up to the British and Irish governments joint declaration in May that the creation of a victims and survivors forum should be a core component of the peace proposals.
"What we got in the negotiations was a tentative commitment to consider such a forum," he said.
Mr Durkan called for all parties in Northern Ireland to be summoned to round table talks on how to move the Good Friday Agreement back on track. The SDLP leader suggested that parties could "map out a common path" they could all understand and follow.
