Vietnam to take part in more UN peacekeeping operations
13/8/2022| 10:30Vietnam’s participation in the effort at home and abroad in UN peacekeeping operations is recognized by practical contributions to maintaining and protecting peace, stability and security in the region and the world.
Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien told UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis in Hanoi on August 12 that Vietnam is ready to take part in more UN peacekeeping operations in the future, as they discussed the role of Vietnam after serving as the ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council during 2020 - 2021.
Chien thanked the UN and relevant agencies for working closely with Vietnam to successfully carry out many war aftermath settlement activities, particularly programmes and projects on addressing unexploded ordnance and toxic chemicals, which brought positive outcomes.
The official said he hoped the UN would continue coordinating with the Defence Ministry in war aftermath settlement through financial and technical aid, capacity building, experience sharing, and database building.
Since Vietnam officially joined UN peacekeeping forces in 2014, it has successfully deployed over 500 personnel on peacekeeping missions and to the UN headquarters. It is also the first country in Southeast Asia to implement three training courses on heavy engineering equipment, under the Vietnam-UN-Japan trilateral partnership programme, which received strong evaluations from UN leaders.
The country has maintained a rate of female participation in peacekeeping operations that is higher than the average and pledges to maintain and increase this rate to over 20 per cent by 2025, according to Chien.
Vietnam would further engage in UN peacekeeping operations, including sending personnel on more missions and diversifying participation forms, he noted, adding that police would also be deployed on operations.
The official asked the UN to continue supporting Vietnam’s commitments and political resolve to join peacekeeping operations, and create favourable conditions to further enhance cooperation in this regard.
UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis applauded Vietnam's efforts, especially its military and police forces, in containing the Covid-19 pandemic. She said would assist the Vietnamese Government and people in securing the best possible post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and meet healthcare-related demand, she said.
Tamesis recently had the honour of signing the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development Cooperation with the Vietnamese Government, describing it as a very important document that outlines the UN’s strategy and assistance priorities for the country in the next five years. The document also underlines the UN’s role in helping Vietnam recover after the pandemic and ensuring that no one is left behind.
The Resident Coordinator spoke highly of Vietnam’s achievements in joining UN peacekeeping operations, including the high rate of female participation, noting the UN pledges to continue assistance in this field.
The UN also highly valued Vietnam sending police officers on peacekeeping operations, including three to the mission in South Sudan and one to the Police Division in New York, Tamesis added.
Police officers urged to try their best to fullfill UN peacekeeping tasks
The same day, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended a ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) in Hanoi to present the President’s and the MPS’s decision on the establishment of the MPS Office for Peacekeeping Operations, according to VietnamPlus.
"The deployment of personnel to UN peacekeeping operations aims to deliver the State’s commitment to protecting global peace, in line with the “The Vietnamese people’s public security force participates in the UN peacekeeping operations for the 2014-2020 period and following years” project, he said.
He expressed his delight that eight Vietnamese public security officers have met the UN’s requirements. Four of them are to begin working at the UN headquarters and the UN Mission in South Sudan this year. He believed that Vietnam’s UN peacekeeping officers in general and people’s public security force in particular will overcome difficulties and accomplish their assigned tasks, thus meeting the expectations of the UN, the country and people, while deserving to be a part of the UN’s “blue beret” force.
Amid complicated and uncertain developments in the world in the near future, President Phuc called for joining hands with the international community to seek solutions to traditional and non-traditional security challenges under the flag of the UN.
On the occasion, the Ministry of Public Security was assigned to work closely and effectively with the Ministry of National Defence, and boost cooperation with the UN, countries and global partners to improve the quality of training for officers at the level of the UN missions and strategic policymaking at the UN headquarters.
The State leader asked for global support for Vietnam’s peacekeeping forces to join regional and global cooperation mechanisms more effectively, and better conducting studies and strategic consultations to join in UN peacekeeping activities more widely toward gradually expanding forces and participation, especially at the UN headquarters.
It is necessary to raise public awareness of Vietnam’s participation in the effort at home and abroad, thus making effective and practical contributions to maintaining and protecting peace, stability and security in the region and the world, he said.
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