Vietnamese PSF to join UN peacekeeping operations

Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang chaired a meeting on April 14 in Hanoi with the Steering Committee of Project No. 5 to send Vietnamese police officers to join United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations.

On June 15, 2021, Minister of Public Security General To Lam signed a decision to establish a Peacekeeping Standing Office under the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

The office was tasked with assisting the Project No. 5 Steering Committee and advising the MPS leadership on issues related to sending officers of the Vietnamese People's Public Security Forces (PSF) to UN peacekeeping missions.

The office should also support MPS leaders to develop high-level relations with UN leaders in charge of peacekeeping as well as promote coordination between functional units of the Vietnamese MPS and the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and other UN specialized agencies.

It also established international cooperation channels with foreign partners to support the MPS in training and selecting qualified police officers to join UN peacekeeping operations in 2022 and the following years.

Regarding its key tasks in the coming time, Deputy Minister Luong Tam Quang asked the MPS Peacekeeping Standing Office to prepare necessary conditions to send police officers selected by the UN to participate in peacekeeping operations while coordinating with the Ministry of National Defense and relevant units to complete the procedures for sending forces to UN peacekeeping operations.

The Deputy Minister asked the Standing Office to coordinate with media agencies to increase the press coverage of Vietnamese PSF’s peacekeeping activities.

Police units with officers selected by the UN for peacekeeping operations should create favorable conditions for them to take pre-deployment training courses, Deputy Minister Quang added.