NI honours list:Members of Gen John de Chastelain's Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) have been given honorary awards in the North's New Year's honours list.
The awards, which have honorary status as the recipients are not British subjects, have been made in recognition of what Northern Secretary Peter Hain said was their great contribution to securing lasting peace.
Andrew Sens and Brig Tauno Nieminen have each been awarded honorary CBEs for their services to the peace process in Northern Ireland. Both men, along with Gen de Chastelain, were instrumental in producing a report for the Irish and British governments in September 2005 which confirmed the IRA arsenal had been put beyond use. Also honoured is the IICD chef de cabinet Aaro Suonio who has worked with the commission since 2002. He receives an honorary MBE.
Gen de Chastelain has already been honoured for his role in Northern Ireland. Some 59 people from Northern Ireland are named in the New Year's honours list. Two of them receive higher awards. Pat Toal receives a CBE for his role as permanent secretary at the Stormont Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in particular his role in countering foot and mouth disease during the 2001 outbreak.
Primrose Eileen Wilson is awarded a CBE for services to conservation and heritage. In particular, the honour recognises her work with the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Heritage and Lottery Fund.
The former chief constable of the PSNI, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, receives a further award for his recent work with Britain's inspectorate of policing, the police watchdog. He is awarded the Queen's Police Medal.
An OBE is awarded to the head of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools in Northern Ireland, Donal Flanagan, in recognition of his services to education.
Also honoured with an OBE is the Rev Norman Hamilton, a minister from north Belfast who has played a role in community relations in the Ardoyne area.
Interim Victims Commissioner Bertha McDougall is also awarded an OBE. Also honoured is Maj Gen David O'Morchoe, head of the Royal British Legion in the Republic. James Michael Kelly, is also included in the honours list "for services to British ex-servicemen and women in Europe".
The oldest recipient of an award is understood to be Shiela McLaughlin from Limavady, Co Derry who, at 79, is honoured for services to music. The youngest is understood to be 39-year-old Brian Dougherty from Derry who is honoured for service to the community in Tullyally.