Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the army to strengthen its peacekeeping missions entrusted by the United Nations.

Vietnam's President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, representatives of UN bodies and partner countries, and female peacekeepers. Photo: QDND

The army needs to step by step expand the scope of operation, mainly in command and management at the UN together with fields of Vietnam’s strengths like military engineering, military control, communications, and military transport, Phuc said on Oct 18 at the commendation ceremony for Vietnamese individuals and units participating in the UN peacekeeping missions between 2012-2020.

Dozens of defense attachés of the UN bodies and foreign missions in Hanoi attended the ceremony.

Deploying the UN peacekeeping missions outside Vietnam is the concretization of the “Overall scheme on Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations” approved by Politburo, the country's most powerful body, in 2013 and the National Assembly’s Resolution No.130 on this field, Phuc said.

Since June 2014, Vietnam dispatched 246 personnel to work in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the UN’s headquarters in New York.

Of the total, Vietnamese female peacekeepers account for 16%, much higher than other missions (6.4% on average). Meanwhile, 57 officers work as independent UN officials, including four joined policymaking bodies of the international body in New York and MINUSCA. 

Among the missions, establishing and operating Level-2 Field Hospitals have received positive remarks from the UN and international experts as they help bring significant changes in locals’ lives. Their work includes healthcare and resolving conflicts.

One-third of them are bestowed with excellent rates.

Defense attachés of foreign missions in Vietnam at the event.

Remarkably, Vietnam’s Level-2 Field Hospital No.2 (L2FH2) in the Republic of South Sudan was rated the best among missions’ hospitals in terms of preparing and responding to Covid-19. They were awarded the UN peacekeeping medals in January 2021.

Head of UNMISS Bentiu Field Office Hiroko Hirahara said that the L2FH2 has played an important role in Covid-19 prevention and control at the Bentiu base. In addition to the professional work, the hospital has also actively participated in activities of the United Nations Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination (CIMIC) like HIV/AIDS counseling, supporting Bentiu Hospital, sharing medicine and equipment with local authorities, and providing useful devices and learning tools for local students, she added.

In June 2018, the UN recognized the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations as one of four international training centers in Southeast Asia in trilateral (Vietnam – the UN – third partner countries) training programs.

So far, three joint training programs on military engineering for domestic and international officers by Vietnam – the UN – Japan have been organized. 

Sector Unity Commander for UNMISS Major General Shamim Kamal presented medals to members of Vietnam’s Level-2 Field Hospital No.2 (L2FH2) in South Sudan. Photo: L2FH2