Makati, Philippines — The Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) marked its 20th anniversary on Monday, 17 November 2025, with the opening of an international conference on peace agreements, bringing together delegates from across the Philippines and abroad to reflect on the unfinished work of peace in Mindanao.

Speaking at the welcome reception of After the Peace Agreements: The Bangsamoro and Beyond, IAG Executive Director Atty. Benedicto Bacani underscored the importance of collective experience and goodwill in sustaining fragile peace processes. “The expertise and networks present in this hall significantly enhance our confidence that solutions exist to the challenges faced by our respective peace processes,” he told participants.

The event drew representatives from government, civil society, and international partners, including the Bangsamoro Government led by Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Unity, and Reconciliation (OPAPRU) under Secretary Carlito Galvez, and the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators led by Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer. Bacani also expressed gratitude to the Australian Government and Australia in The Philippines Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown for their support.

Delegates from Asia, Europe and North America joined local stakeholders in Manila for the two-day gathering, which will feature plenary sessions on the implementation of peace agreements, the realities of political transition, issues of empowerment and inclusion, futures thinking, and the fault lines of peace, power and governance, among others.

Bacani framed the conference as both a celebration of IAG’s two decades of work on the Mindanao peace process and a moment to forge new partnerships. “Tonight, we will renew old friendships and build new ones, all in pursuit of our common aspiration for peaceful, just, and prosperous communities,” he said.

Scheduled for 18–19 November 2025, the conference will examine lessons from the Bangsamoro alongside comparative experiences of regions navigating the fragile transition from conflict to peace.