On December 6 in Hanoi, the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VNDPKO) hosted a seminar titled “Vietnam and the UN peacekeeping operations in the Francophone environment.”
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Major General Hoang Kim Phung speaks at the event. |
The event was co-organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in association with the department under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Office of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the Asia-Pacific Office of the Francophone University Agency (AUF), and the French Embassy in Vietnam.
In his remarks, Major General Hoang Kim Phung, VNDPKO Director, underlined the growing role of the Francophone Community in the UN peacekeeping operations. Notably, three out of the four largest UN Missions are currently operating in the French-speaking countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Mali, and the Central African Republic.
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Delegates in a group photo |
Vietnam joined the UN peacekeeping operations in 2014. The country dispatched 40 officers to the UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and two second level-2 field hospitals to the UNMISS.
In addition, Vietnam has been actively preparing for the deployment of an engineer company to a UN mission, as requested.
The participation of Vietnam in the UN peacekeeping operations has demonstrated the country’s commitments in the international arena in general and in the field in particular, as well as its wish to share professional expertise in the work.
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At the first discussion during the seminar |
As one of the founders of the Francophone Community, Vietnam will continue to participate in UN peacekeeping operations with the community, added General Phung.
During the seminar, the delegates focused on discussing the experiences of Vietnam and the Francophone Community when partaking in UN peacekeeping operations. They also reviewed achievements and evaluated challenges facing Francophone countries in order to map out effective solutions towards their future participation in the field.
Translated by Van Hieu