Manila Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Teresita Quintos Deles, said making peace with the various groups opposing the government would have been more difficult had it not been for the significant role played by the international community.
"We cannot overlook the major role being played by the international community — from facilitating negotiations and contributing resources to keeping watch over the processes," Deles told Filipino diplomats.
The peace adviser commended the work being done by the international community both on the peace table as well as on the ground. She took note of the two countries which have been assisting in peace negotiations as third-party facilitators — Malaysia for peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the Royal Norwegian Government for negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP).
Agreement
"On the ground, we likewise witness and feel the support extended by the international community, apart from the generous financial aid that foreign countries pour to rehabilitate roads, construct bridges and schools, and capacitate communities in Mindanao."
Deles also mentioned the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Peace Committee for Southern Philippines (OIC-PCSP), which is headed by Indonesia, as instrumental to the signing of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
The OIC-PCSP has been acting as a third-party broker in the review of the implementation of the FPA. It includes Malaysia, Senegal, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Somalia, Bangladesh, Brunei and Egypt.
