Mr. Chair,
Viet Nam aligns itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of Morocco on behalf of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) and the distinguished representative of Indonesia on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and would like to make the following additional points.
Peacekeeping operations remain an effective and important tool in the maintenance of international peace and security. For more than seven decades, Blue Helmets on the ground have risked their lives to save millions of lives and contribute to the promotion of peace, stability and long-term development. Taking this opportunity, we wish to pay tribute to their efforts and bravery.
Mr. Chair,
The world today is facing a period of instability and danger. Threats and challenges to international peace and security are multifold and on the rise. Besides enduring armed conflicts, there are multifaceted socio-economic, political, environmental challenges that at times lead to conflicts in parts of the world and further threaten global peace and security.
In this context, we underscore the indispensable roles of UN peacekeeping operations and support the implementation of the Secretary-General's A4P, A4P+ and reforms aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of peacekeeping.
Achieving this objective requires a lot of efforts.
The first issue we would like to stress is the missions' mandates. There have been various calls, especially from host countries, for clear and streamlined mandates. To ensure it is fit for purpose and realistic to implement, missions' mandates must be rooted in the need on the ground, and therefore, their development should involve the host countries.
Ensuring the safety and security of peacekeepers is another vital requirement. In this regard, peacekeepers must be provided with the necessary knowledge, capacity building and pre-deployment and in-mission training. Troops which have been effectively trained, especially those from newly troops-contributing countries, should be given opportunities to fully and diversely engage in peacekeeping activities.
Missions should also be equipped with proper tools to enable peacekeepers to effectively carry out mandates and protect themselves from threats. Among those, technology has great potentials to help peacekeepers in fulfilling their mandates, ensuring their own safety and security and protecting civilians. We look forward to working with the United Nations and Member States to explore the application of current and future technology in peacekeeping missions which suits the situations on the ground and mission mandates.
Last be not least, we could not emphasize enough the important roles of Women, Peace and Security at the heart of peacekeeping operations. Awareness of women's full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes at all levels should be raised. Accordingly, women and girls' rights, interest and demand should be further promoted to ensure that they are an equal partner in the earliest stages of peace processes.
Mr. Chair,
Viet Nam has been committed to actively engaging in UN peacekeeping operations. Vietnamese peacekeepers are currently present in UNMISS and MINUSCA, in addition to a newly-deployed engineering unit in Abyei. We have also deployed 4 tours of Level-2 Field Hospital under UNMISS in Bentiu, South Sudan and announced the establishment of the fifth Level-2 Field Hospital in August this year.
Under the UN Triangular Partnership Project, Viet Nam continues to host an international training center in Southeast Asia to enhance the preparedness and effectiveness for peacekeepers in the region and the world. We have also cooperated with partner countries to organize UN training courses for police observers. We are prepared to increase and diversify our participation in terms of missions and unit types, including both military and police.
Having given priority to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, Viet Nam always values the role and participation of women in peacekeeping efforts. We are proud of the fact that female peacekeepers account for 20% of Vietnamese peacekeepers in MINUSCA and UNMISS, above the Secretary-General's target of 15% for uniform gender parity before 2028. In UNISFA engineering unit, our women also occupy for 12% of the unit.
Mr. Chair,
In conclusion, we would like to reiterate our commitment to the agenda of peacekeeping operations and will spare no effort in working with other Member States in this endeavors.
I thank you./.