Towards better policies and regimes for forces participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations

In the new situation, the UN peacekeeping force meets much higher requirements than before due to the working environment in the most difficult place in the world in terms of facilities and technical infrastructure.

On May 23, the Conference to review the implementation of Decree No. 162/2016/ND-CP dated December 14, 2016 stipulating a number of regimes and policies for individuals and security work for Vietnamese organizations participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations (UNPKO) was held in Hanoi.

Hướng đến chế độ, chính sách tốt hơn cho lực lượng tham gia hoạt động gìn giữ hòa bình Liên hợp quốc

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense chaired the Conference. (Photo: Trong Duc)

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Head of the Inter-sectoral Working Group, Head of the Ministry of National Defense's Steering Committee on participation in UN peacekeeping activities chaired the Conference.

The conference aims to comprehensively assess the implementation and results of Decree No. 162/2016/ND-CP; difficulties and obstacles in implementing Decree No. 162/2016/ND-CP; shortcomings in regimes and policies for individuals and assurance work for Vietnamese organizations participating in UN peacekeeping activities.

From here, identify specific recommendations as a basis for the Ministry of National Defense to propose to the Prime Minister to amend, supplement or replace Decree No. 162/2016/ND-CP to ensure policies for individuals and security work for units participating in UN peacekeeping activities.

Reporting at the Conference, Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department (Ministry of National Defense), said that from June 2014 to present, Vietnam has sent 533 officers and professional soldiers to perform UN peacekeeping missions in both individual and unit forms.

Since deploying the force, leaders at all levels have paid attention, regularly monitored, created conditions and issued many policies and preferential treatment policies for the force participating in UN peacekeeping activities.

Accordingly, the issuance of Decree No. 162/2016/ND-CP dated December 14, 2016 of the Government stipulating a number of regimes and policies for individuals and security work for Vietnamese organizations participating in UN peacekeeping activities has timely encouraged this force, contributing to ensuring that Vietnamese forces successfully complete the tasks assigned by the Party, State and the UN.

However, the report also pointed out some limitations, difficulties and inadequacies: The Decree has not covered all applicable subjects due to the lack of uniformity in the system of legal documents regulating participation in UN peacekeeping activities. There are still inadequacies in the regime of paying allowances according to the percentage calculated on the average payment level of the UN for individuals participating in the form of units according to the responsibilities in each position, especially unit command positions.

In addition, preferential policies and regimes for female forces are not comprehensive and not highly encouraging. The guarantee work for organizations and units is not commensurate and not suitable for each type of unit according to regulations; there are no specific regulations guiding the implementation of the work of ensuring compensation and repatriation of Vietnamese forces in case of disciplinary violations at the mission.

Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, presented a report at the Conference. (Photo: Trong Duc)

The Decree also does not have regulations and instructions on the local allowance regime for forces participating in UN peacekeeping operations; does not have regulations or instructions on supporting expenses incurred when a leave is canceled due to the security situation; or ensuring business expenses during leave or work away from the unit.

Speaking at the conference, Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, said that in the new situation, the UN peacekeeping force needs to meet much higher requirements than before due to the working environment in the most difficult place in the world in terms of facilities and technical infrastructure; the lives of local people are difficult, the environment is complicated and there is a potential risk of disease transmission...

According to Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet, in the given conditions, the task requirements are much higher, Decree 162 needs to be amended and supplemented appropriately, meeting the requirements, but the most important thing is to unify domestic forces participating in the UN peacekeeping force with the highest political responsibility.

At the conference, representatives of agencies and units contributed opinions on contents such as: Policies and regimes for female forces participating in UN peacekeeping activities; financial and logistical assurance; difficulties and shortcomings in implementing Decree 162...; proposed directions to ensure policies and regimes for forces participating in UN peacekeeping activities in the coming time.

Delegates all agreed that there should be better support policies for forces participating in UN peacekeeping operations, in line with the practical situation and new issues arising during the performance of tasks.

Concluding the Conference, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien agreed with and highly appreciated the summary report and the comments; stating that the report clearly stated the advantages and limitations in the implementation of Decree 162. Deputy Minister Hoang Xuan Chien also agreed with the proposal to amend and supplement Decree 162 in a direction suitable to the tasks in the new situation.

In the coming time, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security and the subjects directly participating in UN peacekeeping activities continue to hope to receive the attention, support and close coordination of departments, ministries and branches in the process of preparing to deploy forces as well as the process of ensuring regimes and policies for forces operating in missions.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and delegates met at the Conference. (Photo: Trong Duc)

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien assigned the task that agencies and units that regularly send forces to participate in UN peacekeeping operations in both individual and unit forms need to continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement the regulations of the Ministry, especially those related to the regime and policies according to Decree 162 to thoroughly understand the officers and soldiers so that they can feel secure and excited to receive their tasks.

Regarding the request for comments to submit to the Government to amend and supplement a number of articles of Decree 162 according to the procedure of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents 2015, the Policy Department, the General Department of Politics and the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department will closely coordinate with departments, ministries, branches and agencies, units to fully carry out the steps according to the process, select issues that need to be amended and supplemented to study and prepare documents to amend and supplement a number of articles in accordance with practical needs.

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