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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien addresses the event. |
The event was chaired by Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, who is also head of the MND’s Steering Committee for Vietnam’s Participation in U.N. Peacekeeping Operations.
At the event, Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VNDPKO), briefed delegates on the outcomes of Vietnam’s peacekeeping force over the past time. Particularly, since June 2014, the MND has sent 512 officers and non-commissioned officers to U.N. peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Central Africa, Abyei, and the U.N. Headquarters.
The participation of the Vietnam People’s Army in the U.N. peacekeeping operations has displayed the professionalism, discipline, international solidarity, especially the rapid adaptation in adversary environments. Vietnam’s peacekeeping force has well completed missions and received high appreciation from the U.N. and the international community, he stressed.
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Participants at the event |
In addition, the MND has collaborated with the Ministry of Public Security to organize refresher courses on U.N. peacekeeping operations for nearly 30 public security officers at the headquarters of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations while training and checking dozens of other public security officers in preparation for the abroad training courses and U.N. checking courses.
At the conference, participants shared experience on U.N. peacekeeping missions and U.N. peacekeeping forces’ deployment. Numerous initiatives were proposed to enhance the effectiveness of Vietnam’s U.N. peacekeeping operations and popularize the images of Vietnamese people and military to international friends.
Addressing the conference, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung, emphasized that participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations affirms Vietnam's high level of international integration. Therefore, the mission should be implemented based on the foreign policy of the Party and State, clearly defining the nature of U.N. peacekeeping activities and legal issues related to U.N. peacekeeping activities while gathering supports from other countries for Vietnam in the field, contributing to achieving higher efficiency.
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UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen delivers a speech. |
In turn, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen spoke highly of the MND’s efforts in creating favorable conditions for women’s participation in peacekeeping activities by actual measures. She believed that Vietnam has the ability to exceed the targets set by the U.N Secretary-General, so that by 2028, the proportion of women deployed in unit formations will have reached 15 percent and in the form of individuals will have reached 25 percent.
Speaking at the event, General Chien required relevant agencies to continue to effectively implement resolutions of the Politburo, the National Assembly, and the Government on Vietnam's participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations, fostering Vietnam's U.N. peacekeeping activities to become a priority in diplomatic activities of the Vietnamese Party, State and people, accelerating the implementation of the Plan for the Vietnamese People's Public Security’s participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations.
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The Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5 is established. |
In addition, the deputy defense minister required to develop the VNDPKO Training Center into a regional center for the improvement the U.N.'s peacekeeping capacity internationally and regionally. He urged the VNDPKO to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other ministries and departments to build a national coordination center for participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations, which will be operated by the Ministry of National Defense; advise on building and perfecting the system of legal documents, creating a solid legal framework for participation in peacekeeping activities.
At the conference, Major General Trinh Ngoc Giao, Deputy Director of the Department of Personnel of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, announced the decision of the Defense Minister on the establishment of the Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5 under Military Hospital 175 to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations.
Translated by Trung Thanh