The Irish and British Governments will point the way forward for the political parties in Northern Ireland when they meet for multi-party talks at Stormont on Thursday.
The main pro-Agreement parties have already signalled their intentions to participate in what the two governments hope will be a positive, confidence-building exercise.
The impetus for the new round of discussions will involve structural reform for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). But other issues, such as decommissioning, demilitarisation and the stability of the Northern institutions established under the Belfast Agreement will also figure prominently.
Policing within Northern Ireland has long been recognised as a critical component of the normalisation process. Opening a new session of the British Parliament last week, Queen Elizabeth announced that legislation on policing will be introduced. And she committed the British Government to working with the Northern Ireland parties and the Government here in securing the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement. Details of that legislation will be keenly awaited by the various parties, even though a broad outline was provided to them by the British Government during multi-party talks at Weston Park some 18 months ago.
In recent days, the Compton report recommended changes in the operation, structure and ethos of the Special Branch, along with the creation of a new Intelligence Branch within the PSNI. The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, promised a crack-down on loyalist paramilitaries. And there have been hints that a conditional offer of membership of local policing partnerships may encourage Sinn Féin to join the Policing Board.
The anxiety of the British Government to end suspension of the Northern institutions and to move into a creative political phase was emphasised by Mr Blair when he called for "acts of completion" by all parties, rather than an incremental approach. Sinn Féin has yet to accept, however, that further political progress requires the disappearance of the IRA.
A lack of trust between the Northern parties is at the heart of the present difficulties. Suspension of the institutions was regarded by the British Government as being necessary to avoid the formal resignation of First Minister, Mr David Trimble, and the Ulster Unionist Party, because of their loss of faith in Sinn Féin's bona fides.
Although the drawbacks of direct rule have become increasingly clear in recent weeks as elected representatives are frozen out of the administrative process in Northern Ireland, reinstatement of an Executive and the institutions will require seismic changes from the major parties.
Courage is needed. Risks will have to be taken. But nobody ever said it would be easy to implement the Belfast Agreement.