The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have launched a P63-million project to sustain peace efforts in Mindanao despite the non-passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
In a statement Thursday, EU Ambassador Franz Jessen said the “Support Peace-Bangsamoro Project,” which will be implemented from 2016 to mid-2017, was aimed at “keeping the dialogue open” to “strengthen peace-building efforts even in the grassroots level.”
EU said the project aims to support capacity-building for local leaders and other stakeholders on public administration and parliamentary processes; strengthen the constituency for peacebuilding in the Bangsamoro, including establishing partnerships with local government units and civil society organizations; develop platforms that will enable the youth and women to actively engage in peacebuilding; and provide support to the Third Party Monitoring of the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
Jessen said the project, with a €1.2-million funding from EU, would ensure participation of all stakeholders, including women and children, in “local processes, decision-making and conflict mitigation for sustainable peace.”
“The EU recognizes UNDP’s experience and expertise on implementing peacebuilding projects and we are pleased that our partnership will continue,” he said.
UNDP Philippines Country Director Titon Mitra said the project was important especially because of the “potentially volatile” security situation in conflict-stricken areas in Mindanao due to the non-passage of BBL.
“Peacebuilding efforts need to be deepened and this project will make an important contribution to the difficult but critical process of securing a lasting peace. UNDP and the EU have a long-standing partnership on and commitment to peacebuilding initiatives in Mindanao,” Mitra said. RAM/rga
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