By Francis Wakefield

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. urged the United Nations (UN) to continue its assistance in providing capacity development to key leaders in the Bangsamoro.

“Our focus now is how to have good governance on the new Bangsamoro government. I would like to request the UN family to help us in mentoring key leaders on how to be efficient and effective in governance,” Galvez told officials of various UN agencies who paid a courtesy call on his office on over the weekend.

Galvez also thanked the UN for its continued support for the peace process in the Philippines.

“I think your projects that are people-centered and those on human resource development are good. I would like to thank you for helping us and sharing the same goal,” he said.

Galvez cited the role of UN agencies in helping counter violent extremism, preventing the recruitment of child soldiers, empowering women, and developing the whole Mindanao region.

“I believe that if we have peace in Mindanao, we have peace in the Philippines. If we have development in Mindanao, we have development in the Philippines,” he said.

The UNs’ partnership framework is anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals 2019-2023. It aims to achieve outcomes related to people-centeredness, economic prosperity, and peace.

In his remarks during the courtesy call, UN Resident Coordinator Ola Almgren expressed interest in OPAPP’s practices in the peace process.

“OPAPP has contributed a lot to the global practice. UN is looking forward to your experiences and best practices, hoping that you can participate in global fora and share them as well as to work with you and your staff,” he said.

Among the UN agencies present in the meeting were the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UN Women, International Organization for Migration, and Prevention on Violent Extremism.