Sir Michael Aaronson, Chairman of the HD Centre Board, visited the organisation's operations in the Philippines between 21 - 26 April. He traveled to Manila, Zamboanga and Sulu, and met with the Swedish Ambassador, the Secretary General of the MNLF, the Governor and military commander of Sulu, the Mayor of Jolo, members of the Peace Working Group (PWG), civil society, the GRP Chief Negotiator for the MILF talks, the Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs for the MNLF talks and the Undersecretary of the Office Executive Secretary appointed to the PWG. He also presided over the launch of the Jolo Zone of Peace, on 24 April, co-sponsored by the HD Centre and Municipality of Jolo, and signed by local leaders.

 

The visit was constructive. Sir Michael was able to observe how the HD Centre operates in carrying out both peacemaking and peacebuilding work in the complex environment of Sulu. He heard from staff and members of the PWG, the efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts between the armed forces and MNLF as well as new initiatives to help local officials implement programmes to ban the carrying of weapons and disband private armed groups. He witnessed progress made to date but also the challenges ahead in the peace process with the MNLF and MILF, and how the HD Centre attempts to help all parties reach a comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable peace settlement. 

The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue hosted a representative from the Geneva based Small Arms Survey (SAS). From 21 to 28 Februrary Dr. Jennifer Hazen came to the Philippines and was hosted by the HD Centre's office in Sulu conduct a preliminary assessment on the feasibility of carrying out a survey on the causes and effects of violence on communities. With representatives from the Peace Working Group and the HD Centre, she met with local leaders including representatives from the Provincial Government, the AFP, the PNP, the Mayor of Jolo and travelled to the villages of Luuk and Patikul. In Manila she also met with representatives from the Institute for Security and Development Studies, the PNP and the Office of the Executive Secretary. As a result of the visit, the SAS and HD Centre plan to conduct the survey in May and June 2008.

The HD Centre attended the Second Tripartite meeting between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Istanbul in mid-February 2008. The meeting was chaired by Indonesian Director General for Multilateral Affairs, His Excelleny Rezlan Jenie and the chief negotiators for the two parties included Randolph 'Bong' Parcasio for the MNLF and Undersecretary Nabil Tan for the GRP.  Both parties reviewed the reports of the Joint Working Groups (JWG) in front of the OIC and OIC member states. Dureing the discussions there was widespread agreement that the JWG's role should be enhanced to find consensus and discuss possibilities for amendments to the existing autonomy law (RA 9054). Discussions were intense at times but by and large the atmosphere was constructive and cordial. This meeting was a successor to one in Jeddah in November last year. 

On 3 February, 2008, the HD Centre and the GRP-MNLF Peace Working Group facilitated the visit of the Ambassador of Finland, H.E. Riitta Resch, and the Ambassador of Italy, H.E. Rubens Fedele, to Sulu.  The Ambassadors had a lengthy meeting with Governor Abdusakur Tan during which they discussed security, the dismantlement of CVO's and the gun ban, economic development and the peace process.

Following this meeting, they had lunch with the Peace Working Group at its office in Jolo and were given briefs by the two parties on the situation and their efforts to date.  The Ambassadors ended their visit with a trip outside Jolo to witness a cow distribution programme conducted by the Marines.   

Throughout 2007, the HD Centre was involved in activities to prevent fighting between the two sides. In the first half of 2007, the HD Centre worked on securing a safe passage for the AFP through MNLF camps, and on minimizing the likelihood of misencounters between the two sides. It developed short and long term arrangements to that effect.  

In the second half of the year, the HD Centre was again involved in negotiations with the two sides to avoid fighting and misencounters between the two sides.

From 10 - 12 November 2007, representatives from the MNLF, the GRP, the OIC Secretariat and member states as well as a representative from the HD Centre, met together in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to review the implementation of the 1996 Agreement. This was the first time all the parties have met together in a meeting of such importance since the agreement was first signed. The HD Centre actively prepared this first meeting and facilitated the latter with the OIC.

Over one hundred persons attended including representatives from throughout Mindanao, Government line agencies, and twelve OIC countries. The Indonesian Government chaired the talks along with the Secretary General of the OIC and the OIC Special Envoy.

The talks were successful. Both parties agreed to the creation of five Joint Working Groups to discuss and review the implementation of the 1996 agreement in the following areas: Shariah and Judiciary, Defense and Security, Natural Resources and Economic Development, as well as Political Representation and Education. The Working Groups' mandate is to review the implementation of the 1996 Agreement in their assigned topics and provide recommendations to move the implementation forward. They were tasked with providing reports before the next tripartite meeting tentatively scheduled for 14 January 2008. The HD Centre will help facilitate the work of these five GRP-MNLF working groups.

In September and October 2007, the HD Centre initiated a programme with the Governor of Sulu to institute a provincial gun ban and to disband private armed groups, otherwise known as Civilian Volunteer Organizations. Over the course of the two months, the HD Centre developed a policy framework and plan of action with the Governor, the AFP, the PNP and civil society for addressing those issues. In late October, the HD Centre co-sponsored a conference with the Provincial Governor which detailed the framework and action plan in front of international delegates and senior government and MNLF representatives.