BBC's Tom Coulter: "The government would regard it as a huge boost if any weapons were handed over"

Elaborate arrangements which include code-words and military escorts will be put in place to enable the process.

The decommissioning of weapons and explosives by republicans and loyalists is seen as a crucial step on the road to a peaceful democracy in Northern Ireland.

Some of the guns captured from paramilitary groups

But it is also one of the most thorny issues. No paramilitary group has yet agreed to decommission and grave doubts remain as to whether the IRA will hand in its stocks.

The measures are the result of negotiations between the Decommissioning Commission and representatives of paramilitary groups allied some of the political parties which settled on last month's Good Friday Agreement.

The central tenets are:

• Code-words - Individual terrorist groups will be given a special code-word that will be used to authenticate the consignments of weapons due to be decommissioned.

• Escorts - The security forces will be called on to oversee the safe hand-over of guns and explosives.

• Immunity - Those handing in arms will be immune from prosecution.

• No Ballistics Tests - There will be no forensic tests carried out that could lead to criminal charges in relation to the history of weapons.

• Paramilitary Representatives - Members will be invited to see and verify the destruction of arsenals.

Gen John de Chastelain, in charge of decommissioning

The Chairman of the Decommissioning Commission, General John de Chastelain, from Canada, said arms could be eradicated in one of several ways.

"In the case of ammunition, it could be fired off, it could be burned or it could be dealt with commercially if the numbers are too large to deal with handily.

"Explosives can be blown up, or if environmental considerations are against that, there are biological methods that could reduce them to an inoffensive material."

Francie Molloy says the IRA is unlikely to decommission

But while the procedures are in place, Sinn Fein's representative on the decommissioning panel, Councillor Francie Molloy, sounded a note of caution.

He said it was unlikely the IRA, which is thought to hold 100 tonnes of armoury, would hand over any explosives or guns.