Peace panel chairpersons of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Philippines (GPH) have formally met with United Nations Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenka in Makati City on April 22.
On March 15, 2015, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Miroslav Jenča of Slovakia as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.
Mr. Jenča succeeded Jens Toyberg-Frandzen of Denmark who was appointed Assistant Secretary-General ad interim for Political Affairs in November 2014.
He will be responsible, inter alia, for overseeing the divisions in the Department of Political Affairs dealing with the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East and West Asia, as well as the Decolonization Unit and the Division for Palestinian Rights.
The meeting between the visiting high UN official and the MILF and GPH peace panels lasted for two hours and have dealt on wide-ranging issues, but mainly focus on the ongoing GPH-MILF peace process and the current effort of the government and MILF through the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) in crafting a new Bangsamoro Basic Law.
The issues of radicalism, transitional justice and reconciliation programs, decommissioning of weapons and combatants, role of youth and women, as well as role of the UN in conflict resolutions around the world were also discussed.
MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal and GPH peace panel chair Irene “Inday” Santiago spoke one after the other. They shared their views on the various issues raised.
Iqbal was accompanied by Engr. Mohajirin Ali, a member of the MILF peace panel secretariat.
Iqbal explained that the engagement of the parties with the UN has been ongoing for years and the inputs especially on child soldiers are very helpful in the search for resolution of the conflict in Mindanao.
He said for years the parties have been dealing with the UNDP, UNCHR, UNICEF, World Food Program, and more international bodies like the International Committee of the Red Cross.
For her part, GPH panel chair Santiago told the UN official that the government is doing everything possible to solve the conflict in Mindanao.
She shared the view of Iqbal that UN agencies are already on the ground. She also said that the peace process included creation of peace tables so that everybody is involved in the search for political solution of the conflict in Mindanao.
http://www.luwaran.net/home/index.php/news/19-national/1161-milf-gph-peace-panels-meet-un-official
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