Methodist minister Rev Harold Good has said there is growing confidence that the IRA has decommissioned its arsenals, notwithstanding some suspicions about whether it had fully disarmed.
A year ago tomorrow Mr Good, with Catholic priest Rev Alec Reid, provided independent testimony to support the statement of Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body that the IRA had fully decommissioned.
Next week the Independent Monitoring Commission is due to publish a report stating that the IRA is keeping to its pledge to disavow paramilitarism and criminality.
This report is viewed by the British and Irish governments as a key element in their efforts to persuade the DUP to share power with Sinn Féin in a restored Northern Executive. Talks are due to take place in Scotland in the second week in October on restoring the Executive.
In an article for BBC News Online and the Sunday Life newspaper, Rev Good said he was aware last year of those who had "genuine doubts as well as those who, for their own predictable and political reasons, sought to undermine the validity of our statement".
But he said that the IRA had honoured its commitments. "Since that time, not one IRA bullet has been fired and there is growing confidence in what we declared to be a fact, even by those who expressed misgivings at the time," he said.
He suggested that a positive move by Sinn Féin in endorsing the PSNI could facilitate the completion of the peace process. "The most obvious remaining obstacle to this taking place is the issue of policing," added Mr Good.
Meanwhile, two Sinn Féin councillors who resigned from the party have insisted they have no disagreement with the republican leadership of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.
Mr Patsy Groogan and Mr Oliver Hughes, brother of hunger striker Francis Hughes, said last night that "domestic and political differences in south Derry" had compelled them to resign from Sinn Féin, but that they were not quitting their positions on Magherafelt Council.
Republican and security sources have referred to rumblings in south Derry among some Sinn Féin and IRA members with reports of a number of defections from Sinn Féin and the IRA.
Mr Groogan however said there was nothing "sinister" about their resignations and that they would continue to support Sinn Féin on the council.
"There is no disagreement with the leadership or with any of the policies of Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams," he added.
Mr McGuinness said the resignations were most unfortunate. "Both Patsy and Oliver have made a valuable contribution to the work of the party. I want to thank them both for their work and dedication through the years and wish them both well for the future," he said.
