Minister Counsellor Nguyễn Hoàng Nguyên, Deputy Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Huy

NEW YORK — Việt Nam emphasised the need for ensuring security and safety for the forces and bases of peacekeeping missions and enhancing women’s role in peacekeeping operations, at a recent plenum of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34).

Minister Counsellor Nguyễn Hoàng Nguyên, Deputy Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, stressed the requirement, especially amid risks of increased hostilities and intentional attacks on UN personnel.

He called on the missions to enhance their health capacity to protect the physical and mental health of peacekeeping forces.

As Việt Nam's experience shows, increasing interactions and trust building with local administrations and communities is important to helping reduce risks and create a safer and more favourable environment for peacekeeping forces in the field, Nguyên continued.

The diplomat also recommended the UN continue enhancing peacekeeping partnerships with regional organisations, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

As one of the four Southeast Asian countries housing UN-designated international training centres for the Triangular Partnership Programme, Việt Nam is ready to cooperate with international partners to improve the quality of peacekeepers, especially in the stage of pre-deployment, he stated.

Nguyên added that the country also wishes to receive support and assistance from partners during the preparation for deploying its first peacekeeping police unit in the coming time.

Underlining the importance of promoting women’s role in peacekeeping operations, the diplomat appealed to the UN and the missions to create a safer and more favourable work environment for women’s engagement in peacekeeping forces.

Việt Nam pledges efforts to maintain its female participation rate in peacekeeping forces higher than the UN’s set target of 15 per cent and strive to raise the rate to 20 per cent by 2025, he remarked.

In his opening address, President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis affirmed that peacekeeping is an important tool of the UN to maintain peace and security and protect civilians. He highlighted the contributions and sacrifice by UN peacekeeping forces over the last 76 years, noting 4,345 peacekeepers have died.

Amid the increasingly complicated international political and security situations, C34 needs feasible and durable solutions to improve the efficiency of peacekeeping missions, Francis said. — VNS