Hanoi (VNA) – United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-Generalfor Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix has highly valued Vietnam’scooperation with the UN in peacekeeping activities since the country joined theoperations in 2014 as well as the country’s efforts throughout 2021.

In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in New York, Lacroixhailed Vietnam’s provision of level-2 field hospitals to SouthSudan, stressing that this is thekind of capacity that the UN needs its member countries to contribute, as inthe more dangerous environment that peacekeepers are working, better protectionand medical support is required.

The UN Under-Secretary-General said that UN is working towith Vietnam to deploy an engineering company to the UN Interim Security Forcefor Abyei (UNISFA). He added that this is an area of criticalimportance, stressing the significance of good engineering to peacekeepingoperations.

“I believe that Vietnam understands well what the prioritiesof peacekeeping are, and will do its best to respond to these priorities. Thatis why we really appreciate what Vietnam has been doing with us since startedto contributing to peacekeeping operations in 2014”.

Lacroix said that the UN expects to work more with Vietnam asthe UN can see the country’s capacity through the deployment of level-2field hospitals and the upcoming engineering unit.

He hailed Vietnam’s efforts to improve the proportion ofwomen peacekeepers (15 percent currently), adding that he believes that withthe participation of more women, peacekeeping operations will be more effective.

The UN needs more specific capacity to better protectpeacekeepers, particularly against attacks, along with officers who can collectand analyse information, react quickly and move more quickly to effectivelysupport civilians in conflicts. These are areas of critical need tointernational peacekeeping operations, which are also potential areas that theUN can work with Vietnam.

Looking back on UN operations in 2021, Lacroix said that he believes that theUN peacekeeping operations have been implemented successfully throughout in a difficultyear of 2021 amid COVID-19, with peacekeepers ensuring the strictimplementation of ceasefires and delivering humanitarian support and protectinghundreds of thousands of civilians in countries they are deployed.

Regarding major challenges facing peacekeeping operations currently, he pointedto a lack of unity among the international community to actively supportpolitical efforts and the seeking of political solutions. He also mentioned thechallenge from the worsening conflicts as well as security and politicalsituation and the more dangerous environment in areas where UN peacekeepingmissions are working.

In the recent minister-level meeting on peacekeeping, themajority of countries supported peacekeeping operations, and some countriesproved their capacity to make more contributions to the operations,including Vietnam, he noted.

Lacroix held that next year, one of the priorities of the UNis to continue the efforts that the UN has implemented with UN member states,including Vietnam, in order to improve the effectiveness, the impacts and thelevel of protection of peacekeeping operations. He said he believes that inthis effort, the UN can count on the cooperation of Vietnam./.