Sinn Féin's national executive have backed the motion put by party President Gerry Adams to convene a special Ard Fheis on the issue of policing.
The development came after a six-hour meeting of the executive in Dublin this afternoon.
Mr Adams said the party leadership endorsed the motion by more than a two thirds majority and that the decision was a step towards building a new society.
Full details of the actual motion will not be made available for a number of days.
However, it is understood that the motion will commit the party to appoint representatives to the North's policing board and district parternship boards.
It will also call to actively encourage everyone in the community to co-operate fully with the police services in tackling crime and to actively support all criminal justice institutions.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern welcomed the announcement when he said: 'Sinn Féin has today taken an important step on the road to support for policing in Northern Ireland. This is clearly a landmark and timely decision.
He added that the Ard Fheis would be 'a defining moment in the peace process'.
The British government said the move meant that for the first time there is a real prospect of all sections of the community supporting the rule of law in the North.
However, the DUP MEP Jim Allister said the timeframe for achieving power sharing by next March is not possible.
