Neutral team to supervise peace progress in Mindanao

From the Philippine Star (Jan 25): Neutral team to supervise peace progress in Mindanao

A neutral group whose job is to monitor the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will be set up soon, according to a joint statement released by both parties today.

The statement said the 35th round of formal talks between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and MILF ended Friday in Malaysia with the signing of the Terms of Reference for the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT), a group to review, assess, evaluate and monitor the peace progress in Mindanao. "The parties are expected to identify the members of the TPMT within one month," the joint statement said.

The GPH and the MILF also agreed to extend the respective tours of duty of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group for another year "in recognition of their important roles in the peace process," it said.

"Both parties expressed satisfaction over the continuing progress of the discussions on the annexes to the FAB. They agreed to meet again in February and are confident that the annexes will be completed and signed at the soonest possible time," it added. FAB, which was signed by the GPH and the MILF last October, is a roadmap to reach the final political settlement on the four- decade-old armed conflict in southern Philippines.

http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2013/01/25/901360/neutral-team-supervise-peace-progress-mindanao