Metro Manila – A new partnership between the UK Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was recently launched to support the peacebuilding, community resilience, and conflict mediation capacities of women in the Bangsamoro region.

In a virtual signing ceremony, British Embassy Manila's Charge d’Affairs Alastair Totty, and UNDP in the Philippines Resident Representative, Dr. Selva Ramachandran sealed a new partnership to bolster the Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (RAP-WPS) 2020-2022 established by the Bangsamoro Women’s Commission (BWC). The RAP-WPS seeks to enhance the role of Bangsamoro women in the implementation of the peace agreements in conflict transformation and the protection of their human rights in conflict and post-conflict transformation, and the protection of their human rights in conflict and post-conflict settings.

Among the objectives of the new UK-UNDP partnership is to provide support to women’s engagement in preventing violence and violent extremism in their communities. This collaboration also targets to strengthen the capacities of community-based women leaders and peace builders in promoting peace and development and in conflict mediation and negotiations.

With the agreement, the UK government will support UNDP and the Bangsamoro Women's Commission in their ongoing efforts to facilitate more involvement of Bangsamoro women in peacebuilding efforts and enable them to play critical roles as facilitators, convenors, and mediators in sustaining peace in the region. Among the key initiatives that will be supported by the partnership is the Women Insider Mediators-Rapid Action and Mobilization Platform — a group of community-based women mediators from Moro and Indigenous Peoples communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

British Embassy Manila's Charge d’Affairs, Alastair Totty said that “we continue to place gender equality at the front and centre of the UK’s programme to promote economic growth, peace, and stability in the BARMM. Our partnership with the BWC and UNDP will support the implementation of the Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (RAP-WPS) 2020-2022.”

In the Philippines, the British Embassy’s programme of support to the Bangsamoro has so far provided technical assistance and support on drafting the Bangsamoro Gender and Development Code, Electoral Code, and Women's Caucus Bill. These bills provide some sustainable gains for the Bangsamoro women and girls, ensuring representational seats, and provide a platform for women political leaders.

Dr. Ramachandran, in turn, emphasized that “as in previous peace processes, UNDP stands ready to accompany the BWC, WIM-RAMP, and other WPS partners and stakeholders in the journey towards expanding roles and capacities of women in ensuring durability and sustainability of the Bangsamoro peace process.”

In her remarks, Bangsamoro Women’s Commission Chairperson Hon. MP Bainon Karon expressed the BWC’s appreciation of the continued support to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in BARMM and noted the importance of “bringing the women in, especially in transitional institutions and mechanisms required to enable broad-based implementation processes. Women are more effective in building partnerships which is a key element in implementation.”

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Undersecretary Isidro L. Purisima noted in his message that OPPAP will “push forward the continuing institutionalization of mechanisms and creation of viable spaces where we can collectively cultivate the women’s meaningful role in peacebuilding and conflict prevention.”

In partnership with Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and UN Women, UNDP will further provide technical assistance to BWC for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the BARMM Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

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