The United Nations Development Program has extended its peace program in the Philippines until 2010 amid efforts of the Arroyo administration to revive talks with communist and Muslim rebels, officials said Saturday.
UNDP Country Representative Renaud Meyer made the announcement on the extension of the Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Program at the conclusion of the two-day dialogue on the program with presidential adviser on the peace process Secretary Hermogenes Esperon and other stakeholders at the Astoria Hotel in Pasig City.
The peace forum was jointly sponsored by the UNDP and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
Dubbed as Reflecting on Conflict Transformation and Peace-building Experiences and Lessons, the dialogue was aimed at gathering the lessons learned by stakeholders of the ongoing peace process, as well as the challenges in implementing CPPBP-supported projects.
“Our limited time and material resources, including the modest funds that we have from the UNDP – modest but very significant – will have to be optimally utilized in realizing our objectives and targets under the new paradigm,” Esperon said.
Meyer said the program is all about peace talks and concrete projects with strong participatory approach to both pillars of this CPPB program. – Paolo Romero