Sinn Féin will not renegotiate the Belfast Agreement, according to party chairman Mr Mitchel McLauglin.
Speaking at the opening of the party’s ard fheis in the RDS in Dublin today, Mr McLauglin accused the Irish and British governments of a failure to defend the Agreement.
The result, he said, was that the unionist parties have successfully blocked its implementation in the belief the agreement was up for renegotiation.
"Let me reiterate", he said, "the peace process is unstoppable and the momentum for change is in train.
"They may well slow it down or stall it, but they must know it can never be stopped or reversed."
The ard fheis is expected to draw together over 2,000 Sinn Féin activists during the course of the weekend. There is a substantial Garda presence around the venue in the Dublin suburb of Ballsbridge.
With this year’s theme - Building and Ireland of Equals - the party intends to outline Sinn Féin’s electoral platform for next year’s General Election in the Republic and the possible Assembly elections in the North.
Mr McLaughlin also condemned the terrorist attacks in America, but warned delegates not to be deflected from pursuing their current peace process strategy.
"Political opportunists within the media will use this awful event to attempt to equate the struggle for freedom and justice in Ireland with these attacks," he said.
"[The attacks] can only succeed in bringing untold misery on more innocent civilians in other parts of the world."
Sinn Féin President Mr Gerry Adams will address the conference later this afternoon.