2023 a fruitful year for Vietnam in UN peacekeeping mission

Following the Party and State’s orientations, the country has sent personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, carrying out its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, co-operation, and development.

So far, the nation has sent nearly 800 military and public security officers to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), as well as the UN headquarters in the forms of individuals and units.

Currently, Vietnam ranks 45th out of 120 countries sending military and police officers to the missions with the number of personnel regularly deployed to field missions reaching 274, including 36 women officers.

The UN Secretary General, the UN Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations, and the UN Military Advisor have repeatedly hailed Vietnamese peacekeeping forces and sent letters of thanks to the Vietnamese Government for the contributions of the forces.

Many UN leaders also hailed the country’s various contributions to promoting gender equality by sending a large number of women officers to UN peacekeeping missions, thereby meeting and exceeding the criteria set by the UN.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, under-secretary-general for Peace Operations of the UN, hailed the active and effective engagement of Vietnam in UN peacekeeping activities, as well as the country’s commitments to implementing UN targets and criteria. The official stated that he was deeply impressed by the Vietnamese engineering unit’s performance in the UNISFA despite difficulties.

Meanwhile, Atul Khare, under-secretary-general for Operational Support of the UN, expressed his admiration for Vietnamese efforts and contributions, especially through the deployment of level-2 field hospitals to UN peacekeeping missions since 2018. This indicates the nation’s strong commitments and efforts, being a wonderful thing in the partnership between Vietnam and the UN, he commented.

In March this year, during a conversation with Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN, Nicholas Haysom, special representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of the UNMISS, expressed appreciation for the active and effective contributions, creativeness, and efforts to overcome difficulties of medical officers and soldiers of the level-2 field hospital and peacekeepers of Vietnam at the UNMISS.

In December, Faisal Shahkar, police adviser of the UN, stated the great value of the country’s active involvement and good results recorded in peacekeeping operations, including police activities, going on to voice his hope for closer ties with the Vietnamese side in this regard.

At an event aimed at honouring the contributions and sacrifices of “blue beret” forces as part of activities marking the 75th anniversary of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on May 29, Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the UN, emphasized that amid escalating tensions and conflicts in many regions around the world, UN peacekeeping forces are considered to be a fulcrum of safety and hope for people in many countries whilst being a symbol of multilateralism.

At the event, Ambassador Giang, on behalf of the Vietnamese State, received a Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, the medal for the cause of international peace to servicemen who died while on duty under the UN flag in 2022, presented by Guterres to Lieutenant Colonel Do Anh.

The contributions and successes of Vietnam in the past journey serve as clear evidence that the deployment of forces to international peacekeeping operations is a sound policy of the Party and State, thereby helping to affirm that the country is a responsible member of the international community, enhancing its position, prestige, and role in solving international problems. In addition, it also creates favourable conditions to promote international links in both bilateral and multilateral aspects.

With their braveness and spirit of self-reliance, as well as flexible and creative approach, Vietnamese officers joining peacekeeping activities have shown strong performance in implementing their tasks, overcoming difficulties, maintaining close relations with local communities, and acting as ambassadors of peace and friendship.

Joining UN peacekeeping missions has also helped the nation to actively prepare forces and become ready to deal with non-traditional challenges in any circumstances.