The Sinn Fein president has said he cannot guarantee the IRA will re-engage with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in the new year.
Responding to the call by the commission and its head, Gen John de Chastelain, for "substantive engagement" by the IRA to take place as soon as possible, Mr Adams said "that's between him and the IRA. The IRA has made its position clear in terms of public statements".
Mr Adams said it might seem the British government was "putting the question of Ireland on the back-burner". The work of the commission, he said, should not be allowed to "obscure or distract attention from what is the real question".
The Ulster Unionist security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, said he welcomed the commission's acknowledgement that engagement by the IRA representative was now crucial.
"I would now call upon the IRA to respond to this statement by re-engaging with the commission in a way that will see its weapons being put completely and verifiably beyond use," he said.
Mr Alex Attwood of the SDLP called on all paramilitary organisations to engage with the commission. He said the process of arms inspections provided "a basis on which a process of putting weapons verifiably beyond use can be developed".
Mr Ian Paisley junior, the DUP's justice spokesman, said the commission's statement underlined the fact the IRA had "got away, quite literally, with murder. They have given nothing and David Trimble has given away everything", he said.
Alliance Party leader Mr Sean Neeson said he was disappointed there had been no movement by any group on decommissioning and said the people of the North had been "hoping for some good Christmas news".
The Government is hopeful compromises can be reached early in the new year that would allow the IRA to engage meaningfully with the commission.
Yesterday the Government welcomed the commission's view that "sufficient time still exists for a complete decommissioning of paramilitary arms by June 2001, and appropriate methods can be set up".