A UN delegation on June 27 had a working session with the Engineering High Command and watched the performance of a combat engineering team at Brigade 249 to assess their readiness for UN peacekeeping  activities. 

Military engineers are clearing a bomb

The delegation’s visit aims to examine training, professional capacity and operational standard of Vietnam in terms of military medicine and engineering – the prerequisites for Vietnam to be lifted to Level 2 of the UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System.

The team performed tasks in clearing mines and bombs and building high-storey houses, roads, bridges and garrisons. 

The UN delegation appreciated the professional competence and experience of Vietnam’s combat engineering force in both military and civil activities, especially in humanitarian UXO clearance, which they said suit the increasing demands of UN peacekeeping missions.

At the same time, Lieutenant colonel Shahab Udin, head of the delegation, said the force needs to improve equipment and officers’ foreign language proficiency among officers, adding that officers and soldiers should gain thorough understanding of standard operating procedures for UN peacekeeping engineers. 

Commanders of the peacekeeping combat engineering team affirmed strong determination to send military engineers to join UN peacekeeping operations on schedule. 

Meanwhile, the Engineering High Command pledged to take measures to overcome shortcomings and limitations as soon as possible.

They also suggested the UN advise Vietnam on the set of equipment for combat engineers and the UN standard procedure.

The peacekeeping combat engineering team of Vietnam has 268 members, who are undergoing training in their specialized work and foreign language.

Vietnam affirms political determination to join UN peacekeeping mission

Deputy Defence Minister, Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh affirmed Vietnam’s political determination to join the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Mission at a reception in Hanoi on June 27 for a delegation from the UN Assessment and Advisory Visit (AAV). 

The delegation was led by Bianca Selway, representative from the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations. 

The reception was also attended by UK representative in charge of the UN peacekeeping mission Samantha Hope and UK defence attaché in Vietnam David Houghtonm, who sought to increase coordination among Vietnam, the UN and the UK in transferring the operation of the UK’s second-level field hospital in the South Sudan city of Bentiu, part of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan, to Vietnam. 

Vinh, who is also head of the Defence Ministry’s Steering Committee on Vietnam’s participation in the UN Peacekeeping operations, thanked the UN for sending officials to Vietnam to make preliminary evaluation of its training, professional capacity and operating standards in military medicine and engineering. 

Informing the outcomes of the working session with the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre and the trip to observing the field demonstration by Vietnam’s military medical and engineering forces on June 26-27, Selway said the AAV delegation commits all possible support to Vietnam to improve its professional and language ability, and working experience in multi-national environment such as the UN Peacekeeping Mission. 

Following the visit, the delegation will submit a detailed report to the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations to prepare for the upgrade of Vietnam’s status to the second level in the UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System and help Vietnam arrange a field trip to Bentiu city and the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan, which is also part of a Vietnam-UN agenda towards negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding on deploying forces to the UN. 

The host asked the delegation to give an objective appraisal of Vietnam’s peacekeeping capacity and offer all possible support to Vietnam to improve the capacity of its military medical and engineering forces to join the UN peacekeeping mission.

VNA