The Australian government has approved an additional grant of Aus$1.8 million as support to the continuing peace process in Mindanao, Mindanews reported on July 31, 2013.
According to the report, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, who announced the fresh financial grant in an emailed statement on Wednesday July 31st, said such move is part of his government’s commitment to help achieve lasting peace in the island.
“Expanding our support for peace in Mindanao is a concrete statement of Australia’s concern for the poor of that long-suffering region, and our interest in the achievement of long-lasting peace,” Carr said.
Australia will specifically provide Aus$1.3 million to the Mindanao Trust Fund to help improve the ongoing livelihood, health and education interventions for conflict-affected communities. It will also provide Aus$500,000 to the World Bank and the United Nations to assist the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the finalization of the Bangsamoro basic law. It will be in the form of training, policy advice and other technical help.
“Australia’s support will strengthen law, justice and governance, and help out with transition programs for former combatants,” the statement said.
The government and the MILF signed on October 15, 2012 the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), which serves as the blueprint for the comprehensive peace agreement.
The FAB provides for the creation of the Bangsamoro entity with greater political, fiscal and economic powers compared to the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Once the basic law is completed by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, it will be submitted to President Benigno C. Aquino III for certification as urgent bill and transmits it to Congress for enactment into law. Once enacted and ratified by the people in the core territories and adjacent or contiguous areas, it will amend R.A. 9054 that created the ARMM.
In his fourth state-of-the-nation address last July 22, President Benigno S. Aquino III formally asked Congress to work on the passage of the proposed law before the end of 2014.
During his inaugural speech on July 22, Senate President Franklin Drilon vowed the senate’s support to the Bangsamoro peace process. On his part, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte of the House of Congress vowed swift action on the basic law once it is certified as urgent by President Aquino and transmitted to Congress.
During the GPH-MILF 38th Exploratory Talk in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the two panels signed on midnight of July 14 the Annex on Revenue Generation and Wealth-Sharing after a two-day extension of extensive deliberations. Both panels signed in February 27, the annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities.
They are the two of four annexes, along with the FAB, that will complete the comprehensive peace agreement.
The panels are yet to discuss and agree on the power-sharing and normalization annexes in next exploratory talks, hopefully after Ramadan. About 90% of the Annex on power-sharing are already settled in the technical working group level.
Melissa Parke, Australia’s Minister for International Development, commended the national government and the MILF “on their excellent progress towards peace”, the report further said.
“Australia is very proud to support their efforts. Peace is a pre-requisite for the development and poverty alleviation that is so sorely needed in this poverty-stricken part of the Philippines,” she said. Parke added that Australia shares the hope of the government and the MILF “that a peace agreement will end the decades-long conflict.”
“We will continue to work with our partners and the people of Mindanao to ensure the benefits of peace are felt by all,” she added.
The statement noted that in recent years, around half of Australia’s assistance program in the Philippines has gone to Mindanao.
“Australian aid is introducing education opportunities in vulnerable and remote communities where school-based education has not been possible due to decades of ongoing conflicts,” it said.
In the past 12 months, Australian aid has helped open over 400 community learning centers and provided access to basic education to more than 11,000 children in Mindanao.
“Australian aid is also boosting the ability of local communities and security forces in the southern Philippines to work together to better manage conflict situations, as well as bringing women’s voices into peace negotiations,” the statement added.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/483-australian-government-donates-aus$18m-for-gph-milf-peace-efforts
“Expanding our support for peace in Mindanao is a concrete statement of Australia’s concern for the poor of that long-suffering region, and our interest in the achievement of long-lasting peace,” Carr said.
Australia will specifically provide Aus$1.3 million to the Mindanao Trust Fund to help improve the ongoing livelihood, health and education interventions for conflict-affected communities. It will also provide Aus$500,000 to the World Bank and the United Nations to assist the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the finalization of the Bangsamoro basic law. It will be in the form of training, policy advice and other technical help.
“Australia’s support will strengthen law, justice and governance, and help out with transition programs for former combatants,” the statement said.
The government and the MILF signed on October 15, 2012 the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), which serves as the blueprint for the comprehensive peace agreement.
The FAB provides for the creation of the Bangsamoro entity with greater political, fiscal and economic powers compared to the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Once the basic law is completed by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, it will be submitted to President Benigno C. Aquino III for certification as urgent bill and transmits it to Congress for enactment into law. Once enacted and ratified by the people in the core territories and adjacent or contiguous areas, it will amend R.A. 9054 that created the ARMM.
In his fourth state-of-the-nation address last July 22, President Benigno S. Aquino III formally asked Congress to work on the passage of the proposed law before the end of 2014.
During his inaugural speech on July 22, Senate President Franklin Drilon vowed the senate’s support to the Bangsamoro peace process. On his part, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte of the House of Congress vowed swift action on the basic law once it is certified as urgent by President Aquino and transmitted to Congress.
During the GPH-MILF 38th Exploratory Talk in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the two panels signed on midnight of July 14 the Annex on Revenue Generation and Wealth-Sharing after a two-day extension of extensive deliberations. Both panels signed in February 27, the annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities.
They are the two of four annexes, along with the FAB, that will complete the comprehensive peace agreement.
The panels are yet to discuss and agree on the power-sharing and normalization annexes in next exploratory talks, hopefully after Ramadan. About 90% of the Annex on power-sharing are already settled in the technical working group level.
Melissa Parke, Australia’s Minister for International Development, commended the national government and the MILF “on their excellent progress towards peace”, the report further said.
“Australia is very proud to support their efforts. Peace is a pre-requisite for the development and poverty alleviation that is so sorely needed in this poverty-stricken part of the Philippines,” she said. Parke added that Australia shares the hope of the government and the MILF “that a peace agreement will end the decades-long conflict.”
“We will continue to work with our partners and the people of Mindanao to ensure the benefits of peace are felt by all,” she added.
The statement noted that in recent years, around half of Australia’s assistance program in the Philippines has gone to Mindanao.
“Australian aid is introducing education opportunities in vulnerable and remote communities where school-based education has not been possible due to decades of ongoing conflicts,” it said.
In the past 12 months, Australian aid has helped open over 400 community learning centers and provided access to basic education to more than 11,000 children in Mindanao.
“Australian aid is also boosting the ability of local communities and security forces in the southern Philippines to work together to better manage conflict situations, as well as bringing women’s voices into peace negotiations,” the statement added.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/483-australian-government-donates-aus$18m-for-gph-milf-peace-efforts
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