NEW YORK (VNS) — Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh led a Vietnamese delegation to the first-ever United Nations Chiefs of Defence Conference held in the UN headquarters in New York City on March 27 and 28.
Opening the function, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon valued UN member countries contributions to peacekeeping activities while calling for increasingly active and efficient participation to protect the people, promote the law, prevent conflicts, maintain peace and build a better world.
Addressing 450 delegates from more than 100 countries, Deputy Minister Vinh underlined that the Asia-Pacific is facing imminent challenges posing threats to peace, stability, and security rising from non-traditional security problems, territorial disputes, threats of force, and non-compliance with international law. Therefore, ensuring peace and security in the Asian-Pacific region is now more urgent than ever and needs to be a highlight in the UN working agenda.
He emphasised that Viet Nam continually exerts efforts to contribute to peace and stability, protests inequality and the use of force while considering community interests and international law as the guideline for all its actions to safeguard the nations interests and maintain regional and international peace and security.
Viet Nam, which sent liaison officers to the UN Mission in South Sudan, will send staff officers to the Mission in the Central African Republic and officially register for membership in the UN Standby Arrangement System (UNSAS) to take part in other missions, he added.
The Deputy Minister said the Viet Nam Peoples Army is capable of successfully participating in UN peacekeeping activities, adding that it hopes to receive co-operation and assistance from the UN and its member nations to fulfil assigned tasks.
Receiving the Vietnamese Deputy Minister on the fringe of the conference, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous described Vietnams participation at the event as a representation of its responsibility and determination to join UN peacekeeping missions.
The UN supports the countrys engagement in peacekeeping activities and will help improve the Viet Nam Peacekeeping Centres capacity to train peacekeeping forces; effectively perform search, rescue, and humanitarian aid missions; and take part in bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities, he added.
Vinh appreciated the UNs assistance to Viet Nam in preparing and engaging in peacekeeping activities while stressing Viet Nams persistent effort to participate responsibly in the missions.
At the meeting, Vietnams Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga presented the diplomatic note for the countrys registration for the UNSAS to Ladsous, who pledged favourable conditions for qualified Vietnamese officers to become UN staff members at peacekeeping agencies or other appropriate missions.
Ladsous asked the Viet Nam Peacekeeping Centre to work with relevant UN agencies towards signing a memorandum of understanding on force, facilities, missions, and deadlines for task performances.
On the occasion, Deputy Minister Vinh also held a working session with UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare and met with representatives of delegations from China, India, the US, Japan, and New Zealand. — VNA