The Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, has called on the IRA to move on the arms issue in the six weeks of breathing space bought by the latest 24-hour suspension.
As he restored power to the North's institutions after the one-day suspension, Dr Reid warned the time gained by his move must not be squandered.
"A window of opportunity comes along every so often. If you miss that window of opportunity you can sometimes be set back by years ...What we need to break the impasse, and hopefully it will come soon, is for the IRA to take that step they said they were prepared to take. If they do, I believe we can get a new dynamic. If they don't, then I think we have a very serious problem," he told the BBC's Breakfast with Frost programme.
He accepted that putting weapons beyond use would be an "earth-shattering step" for republicans. "I cannot dictate to any democratic party or parties that they will engage in partnership in government with people who are associated in their eyes with a movement that is still linked to the apparatus of terror, which is weapons."
Meanwhile, Sinn FΘin reacted angrily to the UUP's announcement that it would withdraw its three Executive ministers should a motion to exclude republicans from government fail in the Assembly.
Sinn FΘin's chief whip, Mr Alex Maskey, described the move as an "attack at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement" and evidence Mr Trimble had "set his face against the agreement in its totality".
He said: "The British and Irish governments have refused to challenge David Trimble on his approach to the rights and entitlements of everyone in the Six Counties. This has encouraged unionism to believe it can filter universal rights through a prism."
One of Mr Trimble's main opponents within his own party, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, said he supported the UUP leader's move and called on the SDLP to back the motion.