The First MNLF-OIC-GRP Tripartite Meeting
Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
10-12 November, 2007

Date: November 12, 2007

  H. E. Professor  Ekmelledin Ihsanoglu,

       The OIC Secretary General;

  H.E.  Ambassador Rezlan Ishar Jeniee,

        Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs,

        Department of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia;

 Undersecretary Nabil Tan,

 Head of the delegation  the GRP;

 H.E. Ambassador Sayed Qassim Al-Masry, OIC Peace  Envoy for

        Southern Philippines;

 H.E. Ambassador Atta Al Mannan,

        OIC Assistant Secretary General;

 H.E. Mr. Talal Daous,

        OIC Director of  Muslim Minorities Department;

H.E. Ambassador Ibrahim Abdullah,

Undersecretary, OIC Division,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia;

    H.E. Mr. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh,

Counsel General of Pakistan, Jeddah;

Their Excellencies, Representatives of the OIC Peace Committee for       

       Southern Philippines;

 Assalamu Alaykum.

Foremost, we have to thank the Great and Almighty Allah for bringing us all together in this First Tripartite Meeting in this great city of  Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For and on behalf of His Excellency Chairman Nur Misuari and the MNLF, I wish to convey our gratitude to the Organization of  Islamic Conference Secretary General His Excellency Dr. Ekmelledin Ihsanoglu and the OIC Peace Envoy to Southern Philippines   H.E.  Sayed Qassim Al-Masry  as well as the  OIC Peace Committee for Southern Philippines composed of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Senegal, Somalia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan, for their painstaking and untiring efforts to make this historic meeting possible. We would also like to express our thanks to the OIC for the decision to expand the membership of the Committee of Eight by establishing the OIC Peace Committee for Southern Philippines.  We express our  thanks and gratitude to  the Custodian of  the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud  for his generosity in hosting this meeting and providing  our delegation  full satisfaction during our sojourn in this Great City of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

 The just concluded Tripartite Meeting is expected to provide hope and assurance to our people that steps have been taken to resolve the issues blocking the full implementation of the 1996 Peace Agreement. Indeed, behind the dark rain-laden cloud is the shining sun. While we end this conference on a positive note, our gargantuan task now is to ensure that we will not loose the momentum gained.  The challenge is to effectively pursue the time bounded work of the Five GRP-OIC-MNLF Joint Working Groups. We assure our counterpart in the GRP that the MNLF will do its duty and obligation to ensure that their respective representatives to these working groups will carry out their mandate effectively with honor, dignity, and dedication. I hope that the necessary resources and precious time will be made available to achieve the tasks of these Joint Working Groups.   

 Back home there is urgency in resolving the issues confronting us,  because in the interregnum,  underdevelopment, massive poverty and unemployment, injustice, and  lawlessness continues to confront the Bangsamoro People. The lack of the political and institutional empowerment in a genuine autonomous government for Southern Philippines in order to address these problems as envisioned in the 1996 Peace Agreement remain in suspended animation.   The wait was long, but at last, with the conclusion of this meeting, a faint light is now found at the end of the tunnel.

 The candid exchange of views in the meetings would not have ended successfully were it not for the creative Chairmanship of His Excellency Ambassador Rezlan Ishar Jenie of Indonesia. The valuable inputs contributed by the Honorable  OIC participants in the meetings helped resolved seemingly irreconcilable positions of the negotiating panels. We appreciate our counterparts in the GRP for opening the door for meaningful dialogue.

 Indeed we have to remind ourselves that the  All Knowing  Almighty Allah is watching us. From Him we came and unto Him shall we all return. Let me conclude by saying, if our ends are just and noble success is inevitable. BI IZNILLAH.

 WA BILLAHITTAWFEEQ WALHIDAYAH WASSALAMU ALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH.