The event is designed to raise awareness, share post-deployment support experience, and help personnel reintegrate smoothly with their families, colleagues, and society after completing missions in Abyei and South Sudan. It also provided an opportunity to discuss lessons learned in psychological support for peacekeeping forces and to step up bilateral cooperation in this field.

Colonel Nguyen Nhu Canh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, highlighted that the program targets personnel recently returned from peacekeeping missions. New Zealand experts participated in exchanges, data collection, and experience sharing, while helping design a psychological support program tailored for Vietnamese forces.

Colonel Shauna Graham, New Zealand Defence Attaché to Vietnam, expressed appreciation for the professionalism and compassion of Vietnamese personnel and hoped that international lessons could assist Vietnamese peacekeepers.

Air Lieutenant Colonel Jen Atkinson, Head of the New Zealand Defence psychological experts delegation, said she was pleased to learn, share, and collaborate with Vietnam’s peacekeeping forces in supporting returning troops.

New Zealand has extensive experience in deploying peacekeeping forces, particularly in structured psychological support systems. This exchange provided Vietnam with valuable lessons and guidance for developing psychological support across training, deployment, and reintegration, especially as Vietnam expands its engagement in UN peacekeeping operations.

Both sides also discussed continuing cooperation in training, exercises, and professional workshops on peacekeeping. Vietnam requested continued opportunities for its officers to participate in short-term courses, exercises, and leadership training in New Zealand to strengthen their capacity for positions at UN headquarters.

Engineering Unit Rotation 3 accomplishes task in UN peacekeeping mission in Abyei

VOV.VN - The Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre under the Ministry of National Defence held a welcome ceremony on September 29 at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi) for the personnel of Engineering Unit Rotation 3 returning from their mission with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Vietnam deploys more Level-2 field hospital, engineering unit to UN peacekeeping missions

The Ministry of National Defence held a departure ceremony at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on September 22 to send off Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7 and Engineering Unit Rotation 4 to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).