Vietnam pledges further engagement in UN peacekeeping missions
VOV.VN - General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, met with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix in New York on September 23 during the Vietnamese delegation’s visit to the United States for the high-Level Week of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
Giang praised the UN’s role in establishing an international legal system, maintaining peace, preventing conflicts, and responding to global challenges. He reaffirmed that, as a UN member state, Vietnam consistently adheres to the UN Charter, resolutions, and action programs.
The Minister also expressed gratitude for the strong support and partnership of the UN over the past 47 years.
The Minister emphasized that Vietnam actively participates in the UN’s collective efforts to address non-traditional security challenges, including engaging in UN peacekeeping operations, disarmament, and combating transnational crime, contributing to the maintenance of peace and security both regionally and internationally.
Vietnam strictly adheres to UN Security Council resolutions on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and actively engages in all activities within the framework of these conventions, he affirmed.
Informing Lacroix about the results of Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations over the past ten years, Giang noted that Vietnam has sent over 900 military and police personnel to UN missions in South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). The country has successfully deployed five level-2 field hospitals in the UN mission in South Sudan and two engineer teams in the Abyei mission.
On September 24, 2024, he said Vietnam is scheduled to deploy its sixth level-2 field hospital to the UN mission in South Sudan and the third engineer team to the Abyei mission. Furthermore, it consistently maintains a high proportion of female personnel participating in UN peacekeeping activities, at around 14%.
Giang thanked the UN and Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix for their continuous support for Vietnam in this field.
He emphasized that Vietnam consistently pursues an independent, self-reliant foreign policy for peace, cooperation, and development, while being a trusted friend and partner and a responsible member of the international community. He expressed Vietnam’s desire to continue enhancing its participation in UN peacekeeping operations, including increasing the number of personnel sent to UN-organized activities. He called for ongoing support and facilitation from the UN for military attachés and personnel of the Vietnam People’s Army at the UN.
The minister also hoped that Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix would further support Vietnam’s commitments in UN peacekeeping operations.
Lacroix for his part commended Vietnam’s increasingly active and effective participation in UN peacekeeping operations. He noted that Vietnamese officers and staff have demonstrated their capabilities, professionalism, and sense of responsibility in UN peacekeeping missions, helping to enhance the effectiveness of the missions.
He assured that the UN would provide continued support for Vietnam in strengthening its capacity and expanding its engagement in peacekeeping activities in the future. He expressed his belief that the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam, and Vietnam as a whole, would continue to make effective contributions to this endeavour, thereby affirming their obligations and responsibilities towards international peace and security while strengthening trust and cooperation with the UN and other partners.
