Vietnam gears up for personnel deployment to UN peacekeeping mission

The four officers will therefore replace the Vietnamese peacekeepers currently working at the UN mission.

As a means of preparing for their new duties, the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations have taken UN staff officer, military observer, and pre-deployment training courses. In addition, some officers have also been sent to overseas training courses.

Maj. Gen. Hoang Kim Phung, director of the department under the Ministry of National Defence, said there are certain advantages and difficulties in relation to the latest deployment of four officers to the mission in the Central African Republic.

Among the advantages, the personnel deployment to UN peacekeeping operations has received close attention from leaders of the Defence Ministry, the General Staff, and the General Department of Politics, along with further co-ordination from relevant agencies.

The Vietnamese personnel at peacekeeping missions, including the one in the Central African Republic, have been making positive impressions in the eyes of mission commanders and international colleagues.

Furthermore, the Vietnamese officers who are working at the mission will also provide assistance to the newcomers. One of the newly-assigned peacekeepers also used to perform duties at another mission, meaning he will be able to share his experience with his comrades, the official went on.

However, he added there are security and safety risks in the Central African country. In addition, harsh weather conditions and dangerous diseases like malaria, cholera, and Ebola are also considerable challenges to Vietnamese officers.

Despite these difficulties, the Party Committee and Command of the Peacekeeping Operations Department believes that thanks to directions from leaders, assistance from agencies and units, and especially their firm resolve, strong efforts, and knowledge, the officers will be able to successfully fulfill tasks assigned by the Party, the army, and the UN, Maj. Gen. Phung said.

The Defence Ministry has so far sent a total of 516 personnel to UN peacekeeping operations at three missions and to the UN headquarters.

According to the missions and UN agencies, the Vietnamese officers have exerted efforts to perform duties and have shown their professionalism, discipline, creativity, and boldness. This has left a positive impression on mission leaders, the military forces’ commanders, international colleagues, as well as people of the host countries.