"Irish republicanism is on the threshold of great change of difficult challenges and great opportunities, and the possibility of achieving the united, independent, free Ireland previous generations have struggled for", the Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said today.
Mr Adams described the expected announcement on IRA decommissioning as a "huge sea change" adding that neither republicans nor their opponents have "absorbed" its implications.
"When the IRA delivers, when our opponents and our enemies no longer have the IRA to use as an excuse, what are they going to do?" he asked.
Mr Adams also called on republicans to "reach out" and "actively listen" to unionists' concerns.
"We need to unite orange and green, we need to create a space that unionists can share with us on the basis of equality," he added.
He called on both the Irish and British Governments to show leadership and deal with outstanding issues of the Belfast Agreement, including the issue of prisoners.
"As part of the outworking of the IRA's decision to end its campaign we need to see the release of all republican prisoners and an end to the ongoing discrimination against republican ex prisoners," he added.
Mr Adams made the comments during a Sinn Féin march in Dublin today. The march entitled Rally for Irish Unity was part of the party's 100th anniversary celebrations.