Mr David Trimble has urged UUP delegates to unite with "increasing determination" around the party's objectives as the peace process enters a week likely to witness his resignation as the North's First Minister. Mr Trimble was re-elected as party leader unopposed during a meeting of his party's 860strong ruling council in the Ulster Hall in Belfast on Saturday.
In a speech to delegates he called on loyalist and republican paramilitaries to make their weapons "permanently unusable, permanently unavailable" and said the UUP had successfully created circumstances where the IRA was under intense pressure to disarm.
"We have created a situation where republicans are being told, on all sides, that they must act, or take the blame for wrecking the best hope of and for a generation."
He accepted there were risks associated with his threat to resign as First Minister on July 1st if there was no move on IRA arms, but stressed it would not automatically collapse the Assembly. "It will give the parties time to save it from the consequences of Sinn Fein's failure. But I am ready, we are ready to follow through," he said.
"However hot the kitchen gets we will stick at it. Stick at it with increasing determination, increasing unity and increasing confidence in ourselves and our future," he added.
Mr Trimble indicated that the exclusion of Sinn Fein from the North's Executive would come to the fore if no decommissioning occurred and he challenged the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, and the Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, to live up to previous promises on the issue.
"We are prepared to shoulder a considerable burden. But we can't carry it alone. We do have to remind Tony Blair of his promises. We do have to remind Seamus Mallon of his guarantee. Sooner or later, they will have to live up to their fine words."
Mr Trimble was resolute on the policing issue, insisting the UUP "cannot take on any more water" in respect of further erosion of the RUC.
He also defended his party's disappointing results in the Westminster and local elections, claiming the DUP fought a "dirty" election campaign.
"Under cover of much noise and abuse, they are, when you read the small print of their manifesto, inching their way to full acceptance of the Agreement. Their dirty tricks and personal attacks failed. This party is and will remain the dominant unionist party."
He said his party should now prepare for future elections.
"We must recognise that Sinn Fein have built a formidable political machine. We must match it," he said.