• Country/entity

  Philippines
  Mindanao
  

• Region

  Asia and Pacific
  Asia and Pacific
  

• Agreement name

  Joint Statement (December 9 2009)

• Date

  9 Dec 2009

• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed

• Interim arrangement

  Yes

• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( Philippine Insurgencies (1968 - ) )

• Stage

  Pre-negotiation/process

• Conflict nature

  Government/territory

• Peace process

  Philippines - Mindanao process

• Parties

  Rafael E. Seguis, GRP Panel Chairman;
  Mohagher Iqbal, MILF Panel Chairman

• Third parties

  Signed in the presence of: Datuk Othman Bin Abdul Razak, Malaysian Government Facilitator

• Description

  Agreement that informs on the resumption of formal talks between the Parties. The Parties agreed to renew the mandate of the International Monitoring Team (IMT)and revive the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) to pursue criminal elements, in addition to assuring that Martial Law in Maguindanao would not affect the peace process. Civil society is represented in the International Contact Group, and the Parties extend an invitation to several NGOs to help monitor the ceasefire, the humanitarian rehabilitation and the civilian protection agreements. The Parties also agree to begin negotiations on a Comprehensive Compact.

• Agreement document

  PH_091209_Joint Statement.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

Joint Statement

The GRP and MILF Peace Panels, with the Malaysian third party facilitator, opened the formal peace negotiations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to building a just, enduring and comprehensive peace in Mindanao.

With the formal resumption of the Talks, the parties agree to begin in earnest the negotiations on a Comprehensive Compact.

As the parties continue the path of peace, they also agreed to continue creating and enabling secure environment of the negotiations by renewing the Terms of Reference for the International Monitoring Team (IMT) to monitor ceasefire, humanitarian, rehabilitation, development and civilian protection agreements.

Pursuant to this, the Parties will invite IMT members Malaysia, Japan, Brunei and Libya and non-government organisations, namely the International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC), the Mindanao People’s Causes (MPC) and the Non-violent Peace Force (NVPF).

The Parties also renewed their commitment to continue efforts in coordinating the interdiction and isolation criminal and lawless elements by reviving the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG).

The GRP took serious note of the MILF concerns of continued arrests of its elements by the government authorities and to take steps to address the issue.

Also, the MILF sought clarification on the implication of the declaration of martial law in the Province of Maguindanao to which point the GRP stated that it would not affect the peace process.

In a show of support, the members of the newly-constituted International Contact Group (ICG attended and addressed the opening and closing sessions of the two-day formal resumption of the Talks.

The ICG was represented by Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horic, British High Commissioner to Malaysia Boyd McCleary, Turkish Chargé d’Affaires Yasin Temizkan, Steven Rood and Herizal Hazri of The Asia Foundation, Cynthia Petrigh and Kristian Herbolzheimer of Conciliation Resources, David Gorman of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and Prof. Dr. Din Syamsuddin and Dr. Sudibyo Markus of Muhammadiyah.

The Parties expressed their gratitude to her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her desire and commitment to peace and development in Mindanao, and to His Excellency Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdui Razak for his generous and steadfast support to the GRP-MILF peace process.

Done this 9th day of December 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

For the GRP:

RAFAEL E. SEGUIS (GRP CHAIRMAN)

For the MILF:

MOHAGHER IQBAL (MILF PANEL CHAIRMAN

Signed in the Presence of:

DATUK OTHMAN BIN ABDUL RAZAK (MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT FACILITATOR)