Sinn Féin today called on all elements in the peace process to work with the international decommissioning body and said further progress was expected.
In his address to the Sinn Féin ard feis, Mr Martin McGuinness, who acknowledged arms was the real issue for unionists, reiterated the party’s position.
He expressed confidence that despite the good deal of negative coverage further progress would be made.
"I am confident" Mr McGuinness said, "that further progress can be made and that it will happen much more speedily if others stop playing games . . ."
"The Good Friday Agreement designated the international commission as the mechanism to deal with this issue," Mr McGuinness said.
"Sinn Féin worked constructively and in good faith with that commission and others must do the same," he said.
On policing Mr McGuinness described the SDLP decision to join the police board as disappointing.
". . .advances have been made towards a new beginning to policing and we are confident we can complete this task."
"It has been made somewhat more difficult by the disappointing SDLP decision to join the Police Board".
" . . . we will continue undaunted in our quest for type of policing service free from partisan control that republicans and nationalists can join without compromising their principles and ideals."