United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon PHOTO by Hotaru Niitsu/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope on Sunday that the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would be able to sign a final peace agreement soon as it lauded the recent strides of Manila to make this possible.
“I commend the Philippine government effort to promote peace and democracy and inclusive growth. In this context, I congratulate the Philippine government of progress in the Mindanao peace process particularly the agreement reached between parties in December,” Ban said at a joint news conference with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.
“I hope a final agreement will be reached soon,” he also said.
Ban was referring to the signing early this month by negotiators of both camps regarding the sharing of power between the national government and local authorities under a proposed new Bangsamoro autonomous set-up in Muslim Mindanao.
The agreement on power sharing, signed last Dec. 8 by the heads of the two panels in Malaysia, was one of four annexes intended to flesh out the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed by President Aquino and the MILF in October 2012. So far, the two panels have signed three annexes — power sharing, transitional arrangements and modalities, revenue generation and wealth sharing. These annexes and the framework agreement would constitute a final peace agreement to end 40 years of conflict in Mindanao and pave the way for the passage of a new law setting up the Bangsamoro autonomous entity.
Del Rosario said that Ban “praised” President Aquino for the success of the Mindanao peace process in their meeting last Saturday.
The foreign secretary also took time to laud Ban for the “UN’s contribution to find durable solutions to peace and security problems around the world.”
“Let me pay tribute to the Sec Gen for his leadership and untiring efforts to promote international peace, development and democracy and the upholding of the dignity of all human beings,” Del Rosario said.
Related
The RP-MILF framework agreement
GPH-MILF decision points on principles
Lawmakers laud gov’t-MILF peace framework