September 1997: The international decommissioning body is established on foot of recommendations made in a report by US Senator George Mitchell.
December 1999: Under intense pressure from the Irish and British governments, the IRA moves to appoint an intermediary who will establish contact with the decommissioning body.
February 2000: The IRA announces it will no longer co-operate with the body, four days after then Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, suspends the Stormont Assembly.
May 2000: As the Ulster Unionists agree to re-enter power-sharing with Sinn Féin, arms inspectors Mr Cyril Ramaphosa and Mr Martti Ahtisaari reveal that they have visited IRA arms dumps.
October 2001: In a historic move, the IRA decommissions a "significant" quantity of weapons in the presence of disarmament inspectors.
Materials put beyond use includes arms, ammunition and explosives.
April 2002: The IRA decommissions more weapons, including a substantial number of firearms.
Sinn Féin rejects accusations that the gesture is intended to boost the party's prospects ahead of a general election in the State.