The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme have funded another peace project amounting to €1.2 million (P63 million) to sustain peace efforts in Mindanao, Southern Philippines.
“We would like to keep the dialogue open to strengthen peace-building efforts even in the grassroots level. This initiative would contribute to ensuring participation of all stakeholders especially women and children in local processes, decision-making and conflict mitigation for sustainable peace,” said EU Ambassador Franz Jessen as they launched the new project last week.
The EU Ambassador along with UNDP Philippines Country Director Titon Mitra presented the “Support Peace-Bangsamoro Project” that will be implemented from 2016 to mid-2017.
With its another funding, the Support Peace-Bangsamoro project is geared on giving support capacity-building for local leaders and other stakeholders on public administration and parliamentary processes.
It will also strengthen the constituency for peacebuilding in the Bangsamoro, including establishing partnerships with local government units and civil society organizations, and develop platforms that will enable the youth and women to actively engage in peacebuilding.
The said project aims to provide support to the Third Party Monitoring of the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
“The EU recognizes UNDP’s experience and expertise on implementing peacebuilding projects and we are pleased that our partnership will continue,” said Jessen in a statement.
“The security situation in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao is potentially volatile with the non-passage of the legislation to create a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region,” Mitra added.
According to Mitra, 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.”
