US reaction: The United States government has welcomed the IMC report but urged the republican movement to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law and to support civil policing in the North.
In a statement to The Irish Times, the State Department said: "We welcome the latest report by the International Monitoring Commission which shows a continuing downward trend in activities by the Provisional IRA and indications of potential progress on the part of loyalist paramilitaries.
"We are encouraged by the IMC's conclusion that the leadership of the Provisional IRA appears committed to ending the armed campaign forswearing terrorism and restructuring the IRA so that it is no longer designed for terrorist activities. We share the IMC's concerns regarding ongoing criminality and intelligence gathering by the Provisional IRA, including for ostensible political purposes. We look forward to the next IMC assessment of this issue in its April report.
"The republican movement must demonstrate its unequivocal commitment to the rule of law and the renunciation of all paramilitary and criminal activities.
"We also urge all parties to support civil policing in Northern Ireland. The United States remains steadfast in its support for the peace process and the work of the British and Irish governments as well as the IMC to achieve lasting peace and reconciliation."