Introduction

In 1996, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) signed an historic peace agreement which was intended to bring an end to the 25 year old conflict. This agreement was the culmination of previous accords between the GRP and the MNLF since 1976.

Unfortunately, since then, instability has returned and key elements of the Peace Agreement are yet to be implemented. Following a serious resurgence of fighting in Sulu province in February 2005, the HD Centre visited the Philippines to meet with representatives of the GRP and MNLF and members of civil society, to ascertain the cause of the fighting, its implications, the status of initiatives to address security issues and to look at the implementation of the outstanding elements of the 1996 Peace Agreement. The HD Centre hosted five rounds of talks between the parties contributing to the renewal of the GRP-OIC-MNLF Tripartite process and establishment of an HD Centre office in Sulu to improve security.

More recently, the HD Centre engaged with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in an attempt to help restart stalled talks with the GRP and make both peace processes with the MNLF and MILF more coherent. The HD Centre worked with the GRP and the MILF in establishing the International Contact Group (ICG). The group was officially launched in December 2009 and, along with the HD Centre, includes the British, Japanese and Turkish Governments and NGOs including Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah and The Asia Foundation. This group has been helping facilitate the peace talks between the parties with the Malaysian Facilitator.