Loyalists are determined to distance their communities from crime but need outside help, a conference including church leaders, the police, business leaders and senior UDA figures has been told.
Former Ulster Bank chairman Sir George Quigley said: "They are determined to do what they can from within the loyalist community to transform that situation and help create a much more stable and peaceful society."
Chairing the Northern Ireland Office (NIO)-supported conference on political and community initiatives, he added that those outside loyalism had a role to play in assisting the UDA move away from paramilitarism.
"All of us have a stake in the success of what's being attempted," he said. "We have got to buckle down and see how we can help the constructive elements within that society to move forward." However, the UDA's slow pace of progress was underlined by one of its commanders, Jackie McDonald.
He said loyalist decommissioning was only a "distinct possibility" and added: "the way things stand at the moment, it's still not on the radar." He said of the IRA move to get rid of its weapons: "The British and Irish governments basically bought the weapons off the IRA. Until loyalism is afforded the same respect and dialogue about their future, then the loyalist people still do feel threatened and still do feel left out." PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde attended the conference. He agreed UDA decommissioning would not happen soon.
"The notion that this will stop overnight is farcical," he said. "People within the loyalist community want more responsibility in making the change. We either recognise that for what it is or we criticise it. I do not think we would have seen this [ conference] five years ago."
The next report of the Independent Monitoring Commission, the governments' paramilitary watchdog, would tell much, he said. Frankie Gallagher of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the UDA, said its work was making a difference.
"But there are still challenges that need to be addressed and today's workshop is about facing these challenges head on and working to build a new future, not just for loyalist communities, but as part of a new vision for Northern Ireland," he said.
The SDLP has been critical of government efforts to support loyalist political initiatives, including the recent announcement of more than £1 million (€1.47 million ) in grant aid.
North Belfast Assembly member Alban Maginness said: "Peter Hain and the NIO have been trying to convince people that there is a 'good' UDA deserving of support and a 'bad' UDA which needs to be contained. This is a fairy story."