Representatives at the opening ceremony. Photo qdnd.vn

HÀ NỘI — On the morning of September 13, at the National Defense Training Center 4, the opening ceremony of the Competency Evaluation Program for Prospective Peacekeepers (CEPPP) under ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus Experts' Working Group on Peacekeeping, co-chaired by Việt Nam and Japan, took place.

Lieutenant General Phùng Sĩ Tấn, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Việt Nam People's Army and Head of the CEPPP Steering Committee, presided over and delivered the opening speech.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from the leadership of various departments and units of the Ministry of National Defense, representatives from embassies and military advisors of ADMM+ countries in Việt Nam, and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat and the 18 ADMM+ member delegations.

In his opening remarks, Lieutenant General Phùng Sĩ Tấn emphasised the importance of the Expanded ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM+) as a leading and crucial forum for defense and security in the region. ADMM+ has actively contributed to enhancing defense and security cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.

This is the first time that Việt Nam has hosted a large-scale multilateral event related to United Nations peacekeeping with significant forces and resources involved. It serves to affirm Việt Nam's role, credibility, and contributions within the frameworks of multilateral cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping activities in the region and within the ADMM+ framework.

This CEPPP event marks the final activity of the Expert Working Group on Peacekeeping Cycle 4 (2021-2023) within the framework of ADMM+. Under the theme "Capability Evaluation Program for United Nations Peacekeeping Preparedness", CEPPP involves the participation of nearly 300 experts, instructors, trainees, and observers from ADMM+ member countries. Its aim is to enhance the capabilities, effectiveness, and coordinated contract capabilities of military observers with the support of engineering and medical units at the tactical level in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Tấn emphasised that this is a great opportunity for delegations to exchange experiences, share knowledge, and practice skills in implementing peacekeeping tasks that closely align with the realities in peacekeeping missions. This, in turn, contributes to strengthening friendly relations and cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping among ADMM+ member countries, reaffirming their roles and commitments in collective efforts to maintain peace and security worldwide.

At the ceremony, the two co-chairs of the Expert Working Group on Peacekeeping Cycle 4 - Colonel Nguyễn Như Cảnh, Deputy Director of the Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping, and Matsuzawa Tomoko, Director of International Cooperation, Indian Ocean-Pacific Region, Ministry of Defense, and Head of the Japanese Expert Group on Peacekeeping - delivered speeches affirming the close and effective cooperation between the two sides in jointly organising events, including their coordination in co-chairing CEPPP this time.

Both sides had a high level of consensus throughout the planning process. Specifically, they agreed that CEPPP must ensure a high degree of practicality by focusing on the challenges faced in current United Nations peacekeeping activities and reflecting the experiences of member countries in participating in peacekeeping operations in CEPPP scenarios. Second, it involves incorporating gender equality perspectives.

Cảnh emphasised that this year's CEPPP contributes to raising awareness of the significance and importance of women in fulfilling the United Nations peacekeeping mission.

Tomoko highlighted the achievements of Việt Nam and Japan, along with other ADMM+ countries, in implementing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Initiative - one of the main goals of the current Cycle 4. She stressed that both Việt Nam and Japan share a deep interest in promoting and enhancing understanding of the role of women in United Nations peacekeeping activities among ADMM+ member countries. Both countries have ensured the inclusion of women in training scenarios within the framework of CEPPP this time.

The co-chairs expressed their gratitude for the active and extensive participation, as well as the close and effective cooperation and coordination, of ADMM+ member countries in CEPPP, which contributed to the successful organisation of the event by Việt Nam and Japan.

CEPPP, co-chaired by Việt Nam and Japan, will take place from September 13 to 21. Peacekeeping experts, instructors, and trainees from ADMM+ countries (Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, Việt Nam and Japan) will undergo training in various phases, including theory, practical exercises, and comprehensive simulations.

They will simulate the implementation of tasks for military observers, with the logistical support of engineering and medical units at the tactical level within a United Nations peacekeeping mission. In the training program, instructors have incorporated real-world exercises at the mission site for the three units involved (engineering, medical, and military observers) to enhance coordination in various scenarios. This includes addressing security, safety, health, humanitarian issues, and providing support to the civilian population. VNS