Two members of the level-2 field hospital folded the military flag before the departure of the peacekeeping force in October 2018. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) willcontinue to help Vietnam enhance its capacity for joining UN peace-keepingoperations, said UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Kamal Malhotra.
Speakingat an international workshop in Hanoi on November 23, Kamal Malhotra pledgedthat the UNDP will also assist Vietnam in mobilising resources frominternational and national development partners, and provide the country withconsultations on a long-term strategy in the sphere.
He encouraged other UN member countries supporting Vietnam in peacekeepingactivities to work more closely with the UNDP representative in Vietnam so toprovide the country with consistent, comprehensive and efficient coordinationand assistance.
DeputyDefence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, head of the Vietnam Inter-sectoral Working Group forParticipation in the UN Peacekeeping Operations and the Defence Ministry'sSteering Committee for Participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations, stressed that joining UN peacekeeping operations is the sustainable andlong-term political resolve of the Vietnamese Party, State and army.
Themove signals the country’s responsibility for the international community andits aim to contribute to the global peace and consolidate national peace andstability, he said.
Vietnamwishes to receive support in training and equipment from such countries as theUS, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Canada, the UK and France, amongothers.
Besides,Vietnam stands ready to share its experience and resources with other membersof the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in this area, the officernoted.
ColonelHoang Kim Phung, head of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, said Vietnam hassent 29 officers to UN peacekeeping missions, including a female, since 2014.
InOctober, 2018, the country deployed a level-2 field hospital to South Sudan totake over a field hospital of the UK.
Vietnamis working to consolidate the legal foundation and institutional capacity for itsparticipation in UN peacekeeping operations, and prepare competent resourcesfor the missions, he said.
Delegatesat the workshop looked into Vietnam’s plans and priorities in UN peacekeepingoperations, challenges facing the country in this field, and how to improvecapacity for the training centre of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department.
The workshop saw the participation of US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrinkand UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward, among others.-VNA
VNA
