The Independent Monitoring Commission today described the IRA's statement on disarming as potentially very significant.
"It is the task of the IMC to monitor illegal activity by all paramilitary groups, and we will monitor the consequences of this statement as part of that role," the four-member body said in a statement.
"In doing so we will have in mind the considerations about stopping such activity we listed in our Fifth Report published in May, namely whether a group has stopped using violence in any form, committing other crimes, recruiting or training members, gathering intelligence, targeting people, procuring material, and exiling or intimidating people.
The IMC is currently scheduled to deliver one of its regular six-monthly reports to the British and Irish governments in October. This report will track paramilitary activity for the period until the end of next month.
The IMC said it would deliver an additional report to the two governments on the steps taken following the IRA statement. This will be delivered in January next year.