Bangsamoro Peace Process Reflects Filipinos’ Desire to Take Ownership of Peacebuilding
The Philippines peace process is “guided by President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to ensure the inclusivity and convergence of the two peace agreements with Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front into one Bangsamoro Peace Process,” Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. said at the High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace convened by the President of the General Assembly on 05 September 2018 in New York. (New York PM photo)
NEW YORK 18 September 2018 – The Bangsamoro peace process represents the desire of the Bangsamoro people and the larger Filipino Community to take ownership of peacebuilding achieved through continuing dialogue, confidence-building, and mutual trust.
In his statement delivered at a High-Level Forum (HLF) on the Culture of Peace convened at the United Nations on 05 September 2018, Permanent Representative to the UN Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. stressed that the Philippine peace process is not only anchored on President Rodrigo Duterte’s Six-Point Peace and Development Agenda, but also guided by his directive “to ensure the inclusivity and convergence of the two peace agreements with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) into one Bangsamoro Peace Process.”
“For Filipinos promoting a culture of peace is a natural,” “We have been victims of atrocities in two wars… But we never committed mass atrocities no matter the provocation,” Ambassador Locson said.
The Permanent Representative also delivered a statement on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that affirmed ASEAN’s Declaration on Culture of Prevention as a way of pursuing “a credible pathway to sustaining peace” through six key thrusts in line with the principles of the ASEAN Charter.
The thrusts focus on promoting a culture of peace and intercultural understanding; respect for all, good governance at all levels, resilience and care for the environment, healthy lifestyle, and supporting the values of moderation.
“With over 630 million people, ASEAN embraces a culture of peace as a core value of a politically cohesive, economically integrated, socially responsible, people-oriented and people-centred community,” Ambassador Locsin said.
The HLF aim was to highlight emerging trends that impact on the realization of a culture of peace, and to enable UN member states and other stakeholders to exchange ideas on further promoting a culture of peace.
Dr. Rigoberta Menchú Tum, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Guatemala and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, delivered the Forum’s keynote address focusing on her experiences as a peace advocate, and commending the work of civil society in advancing a culture of peace in post-conflict areas.
Miroslav Lajćák, President of this year’s UN General Assembly, also addressed the participants, stating that “we cannot achieve a culture of peace from a hall like this. We need to take action on the ground…and we need new approaches.”
Over 40 UN member and observer states delivered their respective interventions during the HLF. END
For more information, visit www.newyorkpm.dfa.gov.ph/ www.un.int/philippines or https://www.facebook.com/PHMissionNY/
