Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s participation in the United Nations’peacekeeping missions is a humanitarian activity of great significance,affirming the country’s responsibility towards the international community.

In the past five years, Vietnam hassent 29 batches of officials to the UN’s two peacekeeping missions in SouthSudan and Central African Republic to work as liaison officers, militaryobservers and staff officers.

In October 2018, the country deployedthe first level-2 field hospital to South Sudan, and is preparing for thedeployment of the second level-2 field hospital and a sapper company soon.

In June 2018, the UN recognised theVietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VDPO) as one of fourinternational training centres in the region and agreed to carry out trainingunder a three-party partnership (comprising Vietnam, the UN and a partnercountry).

The selection of Vietnam as atraining venue for UN peacekeeping forces reflects the UN's appreciation ofVietnam's commitment and results the country has recorded in UN peacekeeping.

At the meeting of EU Chiefs ofDefence in August 2018, the EU invited Vietnam to dispatch officers to work asmobile trainers at some UN peacekeeping training centres of the EU in CentralAfrica, Somalia, Mali and some European countries.

Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut.Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, head of the steering committee of Vietnam's UNpeacekeeping operations, said the Vietnam People’s Army is always ready andwilling to help other countries with peace consolidation and nationalreconstruction.

Maj. Gen. Hoang Kim Phung, VDPO Director,stated that the deployment of the first level-2 field hospital in South Sudan affirmedVietnam’s role, responsibility and efforts in UN peacekeeping.

UN Under-Secretary-General forPeacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, in a letter sent to AmbassadorDang Dinh Quy, head of Vietnam’s permanent mission to the UN, on November 26,2018, extended his gratitude to the Vietnamese Government for its successfuldeployment of the first level-2 field hospital in South Sudan.

Vietnam also has strong support forthe UN Security Council’s resolutions on the role of women in all phases of thepeace process and in UN peacekeeping activities.

Speaking at a debate on women and UNpeacekeeping activities held by the UN Security Council on April 11, DeputyForeign Minister Le Hoai Trung affirmed Vietnam would step up women’sparticipation in UN peacekeeping forces.

When assuming the role of the Chairof the Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operations Training Centres (AAPTC) in2020 from Thailand at a ceremony in Bangkok on April 26, Maj. Gen. Hoang KimPhung confirmed that Vietnam backs and obeys the UN’s regulations on theimprovement of women’s role in UN peacekeeping missions.

In the near future, Vietnam will sendmore female officers to join the activities in African nations, he added.

The country plans to coordinate withthe UN Development Programme in organising an international workshop on theconnectivity between women and UN peacekeeping activities. With this event,Vietnam wants to honour women’s role in peace building and their contributionsto world security.-VNA