Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 11/11/2007
A historical meeting was held in Jeddah on November 10, 2007 under the auspices of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) between representatives of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) for reviewing the implementation of the 1996 peace agreement. The Secretary General of the OIC, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, chaired the first session. In his opening speech of the tripartite meeting Ihsanoglu thanked the GRP and MNLF, the two principal signatories to the agreement, for their trust in the role of the OIC and their commitment to the path of negotiation and dialogue in resolving the issues of contention. “I am convinced that their active participation in the tripartite meeting will pave the way towards bringing the desired peace to the implementation process as well as overcoming the obstacles which has impeded the peace process in one way or another during the last 11 years,” said Ihsanoglu. This meeting is the result of the initiative by Prof. Ihsanoglu to send a fact finding mission to the Philippines in May 2006 in order to find a way out of the dangerous situation which the peace process have reached by the time he became Secretary General three years ago. The Secretary General pointed out that assessing the implementation process, defining the obstacles and devising the solutions is a huge task that cannot be achieved in one or two sessions. He said, “So today we are launching a process with a road map that will certainly lead us to the right destination which is peace and prosperity to Mindanao and the rest of the Republic of the Philippines.” Ihsanoglu added that a process such as this will require confidence building measures and expressed his confidence that expedating the legal process of the case against Prof. Nur Misuari, the MNLF Chairman, and allowing him to participate in the tripartite talks will greatly contribute to the restoration of confidence between the two parties, especially in Sulu Island which has suffered too much and too long. The Secretary General concluded his statement with a positive note, “In spite of all the difficulties, the GRP and MNLF and indeed all of us, still believe in and adhere to that agreement, which is considered to be a significant milestone in the path of the OIC’s relentless drive towards maintaining peace and stability in the world.” He emphasized that peace will not become a reality unless the process is accompanied by economic and infrastructural development, reconstruction, correction of injustice, proper settlement of the displaced population and ensuring equitable and just distribution of facilities for all. During the opening session Undersecretary Nabil Tan, Head of the Philippine delegation, announced in a statement his country’s commitment to the 1996 peace agreement. “We come to this meeting with high hopes and confident desire that we would reach a consensus to push forward the peace process with the MNLF.” He conveyed the appreciation and gratitude of the Philippine Government to the OIC Secretary General for his efforts for holding this tripartite meeting. The Head of the MNLF delegation, Randolph Parcasio, also in his statement commanded the OIC General Secretariat for its success in holding the tripartite meeting at its headquarters despite being postponed nine times. He expressed his regret that Chairman Misuari was unable to attend, but added that the delegation was formed by Misuari personally. A statement by Misuari was read on his behalf in which he presented the position of MNLF and thanked the OIC Secretary General and its Member States for their services towards peace, justice and freedom in Bangsamore, praying God that the meeting will be a success. The Chairman of the Indonesian delegation, Ambassador Rezlan Jenie, also spoke at the opening session as the chairman of the OIC Peace Committee for Southern Philippines (PCSP). The committee was previously called the Committee of Eight but has been expanded to include Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey in addition to the previous eight members: Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Somalia.
