Sinn Féin have firmly placed the blame for the recent impasse in the Northern Ireland peace process at the door of the British government.
Addressing delegates at its ard feis Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams said the peace process "was in a mess" and that the northern political institutions will collapse unless unionists agree to work with Sinn Féin.
The British Government, Mr Adams said, is in breach of the Good Friday Agreement by focusing on the decommissioning issue to the detriment of all others.
"The whole truth is that resistance to change in Northern Ireland comes not only from those within unionism but from within the British system also", Mr Adams said.
". . . [the problem] goes back to private assurances in side letter that Tony Blair gave David Trimble hours after they endorsed the Good Friday Agreement.
"That letter showed a willingness on the part of the British Government to pander to unionism and to create space for Mr Trimble to commence to hollow out the agreement.
The differing approaches to the Good Friday agreement were demonstrated by the fact that the IRA cease-fire has held "in stark contrast to continued use of loyalist and British weapons", Mr Adams said.
Mr Adams also committed Sinn Féin to ending the conflict in the north and the eventual dismantlement of all paramilitary groups - north and south.
" . . . I want to reiterate my total commitment to playing a leadership role in bring a permanent end to political conflict on our island including the end of physical-force republicanism," Mr Adams said.
"I have no illusions about any of this and I know my commitment is shared by the Sinn Féin leadership. From within the broad republican constituency we are working the day when all armed groups - including the IRA - cease to be".