Dispatch of Senior Advisor for Reconstruction and Development of Mindanao to the International Monitoring Team in the Philippines

August 1, 2008

On August 1 (Friday), the Government of Japan appointed Mr. Tomonori Kikuchi, First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines (recruited by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from the Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA]), as "Senior Advisor for Reconstruction and Development of Mindanao" and successor of Mr. Masafumi Nagaishi.
Mr. Kikuchi will be assigned to the Philippines in mid-August. If the term of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) for the Mindanao Peace Process in the Philippines (Headquarters: Cotabato City, Mindanao) is extended after this September, he, like Mr. Nagaishi, is expected to engage in reconstruction and development work in Mindanao in his capacity as the leader of the socio-economic assistance aspect of the IMT.
As agreement on the issue of "ancestral domain" is reached, the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will make considerable progress. In this light, the Government of Japan is determined to strengthen its cooperation toward the achievement of the final agreement, and is considering the additional dispatch of a development expert to the IMT in the near future.

Reference 1: The International Monitoring Team (IMT)

The IMT-composed of Malaysia, Brunei, and Libya- has been operating in Mindanao since October 2004, after the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed the ceasefire agreement in July 2003.

Reference 2: Japan's initiatives for the Mindanao Peace process after October 2006

Major contribution

(1) Dispatch of Mr. Masafumi Nagaishi, Senior Adviser for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Mindanao, to the IMT.

(2)Concentration of the Implementation of "Grant Assistance For Grassroots Human Security Projects" in conflict-affected areas

(3)Establishment of the "Mindanao Taskforce"-composed of the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines, JICA Manila Office and JBIC Manila Office

Assistance projects by the Government of Japan (known by the generic name, "J-BIRD" or the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development) have enabled the people at the grassroots level to experience the "dividends of peace" and have facilitated the Mindanao peace process. These undertakings by Japan are highly appreciated by those who are actively involved in the peace process and other donors.

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