This is the text of the statement by the Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, at yesterday's press conference on the IRA announcement of a decomissioning act:
"Let me begin by welcoming this morning's news. It is further evidence of the IRA's commitment to the peace process.
It will create many difficulties for many republicans and no one should underestimate this.
I include in that many republicans and nationalists who have never been near guns and who never want to see guns used again.
For these people, this is another huge move by the IRA leadership.
This initiative also has to be set against the multiple failures in the implementation of the Good Friday agreement, principally by the British government.
The army statement makes it clear that this is a unilateral initiative. That it is a leadership initiative and that it is taken at a time when others are not fulfilling their obligations. In fact, it makes the point that it is precisely because of this, and because it wishes the peace process to be stabilised, that it has moved once again.
It is obvious to anyone interested in implementing the Good Friday agreement that on policing, on demilitarisation, human rights, equality and justice there remain significant gaps between what was agreed over four years ago in the Good Friday agreement and what has been delivered thus far.
In our view these difficulties can be traced back to the behaviour and attitude of those within the British system, the securocrats and bureaucrats, who refuse to accept the imperatives of making peace and who are continuously undermining, subverting and corroding the imperative of the peace process.
In my view the failure of the British government to face down these people has given encouragement to them. There are sections of unionism who are opposed to change. I believe that this initiative will be welcomed by all people of good will. The IRA is leading by example.
If this peace process is to succeed, others, especially the British government, have to accept responsibility for these difficulties and move to curb the dangerous and damaging actions of those over whom they have influence and control.
It is time to see real progress being made on all of the outstanding issues.
We have only to look at the Middle East to see that the imperative of peace-making has to prevail."