The council can agree on common policies and actions but any individual participant can opt out of such common policies. Under the new Northern Ireland agreement there are also guidelines for resolving such sensitive and controversial issues as the decommissioning of paramilitary arms, the release of prisoners and policing. All participants reaffirm their commitment to the total disarmament of all paramilitary organizations. The participants are to use any influence they may have to achieve the decommissioning of all paramilitary arms. The two governments will make sure the decommissioning schemes come into force by June.
Full disarmament is to be achieved two years after the endorsement of the peace plan.
An independent commission will monitor, review and verify progress on the decommissioning. Both governments will speed up the release of paramilitary prisoners. But prisoners affiliated with organizations which have not established, or are not maintaining, a complete and unequivocal cease-fire will not benefit from the release programs. Release dates will be set for all qualifying prisoners. The agreement provides the opportunity for a new beginning to policing with a police service capable of attracting support from nationalists.