“Proactive and active international integration”, including in the field of defense, set forth by the 11^th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), is a renewal of thought, a summing up of the Party’s diplomatic practices in the period of accelerating national industrialization and modernization. Over the past few years, thanks to the realization of that policy, Vietnam’s international integration in defense has recorded great achievements, boosting many bilateral defense cooperation relations while actively participating in multilateral defense mechanisms in an effective manner.

Vietnam’s preparation for participating in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) has drawn much attention from domestic and international public opinion¹. This is a new move of our country’s international integration in defense to achieve the goal of building and protecting the Fatherland.

The concept and goals of UNPKO, as defined in some resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), are: “Peacekeeping operations are various combinations of civil and military activities of countries, international organizations (with the highest being the United Nations (UN)), and regions worldwide under the command of the UN to make peace in conflict zones, and settle disputes between involved parties through peaceful measures”. The UN peacekeeping forces operate on the basis of the UN Charter and other international laws such as International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, Law of Armed Conflict, UNSC resolutions and some other related legal documents².

Vietnam People’s Army (VPA)’s active preparation, together with ministries and branches, for sending its forces to participate in UNPKO, reflects CPV’s new thought in international integration in defense. The decision to boost comprehensive preparation to effectively participate in UNPKO not only shows the renewal of thought and activeness in international integration of our Party and State, but also marks a new development in terms of capacity and expertise of our army in international cooperation activities.

First of all, joining UNPKO is the concrete application of our Party’s thought in international integration in defense. This is a change in substance in the approach to regional and international cooperation activities in the field of defense. Regionalization and globalization, as an indispensable rule in the history of the mankind, are bringing nations and peoples closer to each other, making them much more interdependent on each other in every aspect, of which defense and security is no exception. Vietnam’s comprehensive link with the region and the world has become closer. The country’s defense and security have been strongly influenced by regional and global security situations. Therefore, our Party’s thought in international integration in defense reflects a strong link between national protection and settlement of emerging security issues in the region and the world. This is not just cooperation to solve emerging regional and global security issues in a way that benefits Vietnam, but reveals a new approach, considering the common security threats to the region and the world as Vietnam’s. With this thought in mind, Vietnam’s engagement in solving regional and global security challenges will prove itself to be a responsible member of the ASEAN community and the world. In this regard, participating in UNPKO shows a new thought, considering peace and stability of every region in the world as in Vietnam’s interests. This approach brings Vietnam closer to regional and global friends. Therefore, participating in UNPKO enables Vietnam’s link in the field of defense with world peace and stability to broaden to global scope. In this way, Vietnam shows its desire to maintain peace and stability in the world with concrete and practical deeds which are surely welcomed by friends worldwide and help to raise Vietnam’s international status. In that spirit, the participation in UNPKO will bring Vietnam’s international integration in defense from the regional level to a global one with more diverse, difficult and complicated activities. The basic tasks of a UN peacekeeping mission usually include: (1) Assist to maintain a peaceful and stable environment; (2) Assist to prevent and minimize conflicts, protecting civilians; (3) Assist to establish legal systems, developing judicial and security sectors; (4) Community assistance through humanitarian activities, healthcare and infrastructure development… By nature, these are humanitarian activities and not directly involved in conflicts among parties. Thus, they are not sensitive.

Firmly maintaining independence and self-reliance

Like other activities in international integration in defense, Vietnam’s participation in UNPKO clearly proves the principles in international integration of the Party, including the basic one of firmly maintaining independence and self-reliance. This viewpoint was thoroughly grasped when Vietnam became a member and took part in the activities of regional and international organizations.

While accepting and responsibly realizing the responsibilities of a member of regional and international organizations, Vietnam still proves itself to be an independent and self-reliant country. This spirit is upheld when Vietnam participates in UNPKO. Vietnam’s force in UNPKO is under UN management, observes the principles of the UN Charter and is deployed under the UNSC’s resolutions on the basis of peaceful agreement among concerned parties.

These activities must be neutral, not being involved in combat situations and only using force, at a minimum level, on the last resort. Therefore, Vietnam’s force in the UNPKO is non-combatant, not being under any other countries’ command and operates only within agreements with the UN. These activities are voluntary so that Vietnam is free to choose area, size and form of participation suitable to our conditions. Moreover, the forces involved in the UNPKO will only do what has been agreed in written documents with UN agencies in charge of UNPKO. With those agreements, Vietnam’s independence and sovereignty are shown in legal regulations and cannot be abused. Therefore, we can decide the concrete contents, forms and activities of our forces in UNPKO while fulfilling a member’s responsibilities in UN peacekeeping missions. Our independence and self-reliance is resolutely respected through the fact that we can decide our participation and fulfillment of concrete tasks for our force in UN peacekeeping missions.

Proactive integration in defense in both depth and width

Participating in UNPKO not only shows Vietnam’s responsibilities to the international community but also reflects our active viewpoint on international integration to achieve the goals of building and protecting the Socialist Fatherland that our Party has decided on. This participation is our huge effort and the international community is looking forward to Vietnam’s contribution in this important field. Many countries expressed their strong belief in Vietnam’s expertise in many aspects of UNPKO. Vietnam’s soldiers and civilian workers in UNPKO will be peace ambassadors, showing responsibility and humanitarian tradition of the nation. Through practical activities, Vietnam’s forces in the UNPKO will help to bring Vietnam’s status to a new height in the international arena, broadening Vietnam’s international relations, making an important contribution to developing its relations with the rest of the world and facilitating cooperation for mutual benefits with other countries and serving the country’s development. The information and relations that Vietnam’s forces gain in UNPKO will be important premises for the nation to develop its trade and investment relations with countries in regions of strategic importance of the world and regions of high potential for cooperation.

Thus, joining UNPKO is a case study for the relation between international integration in defense and multifaceted international integration. In this case, international integration in defense can forge ahead, creating favourable conditions for international integrations in other fields. This shows correctly the active and comprehensive policy of international integration that the resolution of the 11^th National Congress of the CPV has set forth.

Showing Vietnam’s defense policy, creating conditions for safeguarding the Fatherland

It can be said that Vietnam’s participation in UNPKO will make the rest of the world better understand its defense policy of peaceful and self-reliant; hence, creating mutual understanding and trust between Vietnam and international community and serving Vietnam’s cause of protecting the nation. Specific activities of Vietnam’s force in the UNPKO will enable our Party and State’s policies and Vietnam’s cultural traditions to spread among international community. This understanding in the international community will turn into strength to prevent and counteract hostile activities that could sabotage our country. Therefore, Vietnam’s all-people’s defense posture will be broadened into the global scope. This is an important factor that helps Vietnam realize its strategy of protecting the country from afar, preventing war and maintaining peace for the country. Joining UNPKO also facilitates VPA to build itself into a revolutionary, regular, seasoned, and gradually modern force. Our troops will be tested in difficult and complicated international environment in the UNPKO. That environment will challenge and help them raise their capacity in commanding, coordinating and being ready for complicated situations, as well as critical thinking in studying and realizing new ones. The environment of the UNPKO will equip our officers and soldiers with realistic knowledge of international law, experience in operating in international environment and knowledge and coordination in a multi-national force. Moreover, this is a chance for our troop to gain familiarity with new military knowledge and technology. Therefore, participating in UNPKO will help to build a contingent of officers and soldiers with firm political foundation and determination, absolute loyalty to the Party and Fatherland, improved expertise and ability to work in a multi-national environment. In short, participating in UNPKO not only helps to boost international integration in defense, but also contributes to promoting the status and strength of the all-people posture and achieving the goals of protecting the Fatherland under new conditions.

Preparing responsibly and thoroughly

To participate successfully in UNPKO with our capacity, Vietnam has been actively preparing in every aspect, first and foremost, human resource. We have dispatched many missions to learn from different countries’ experiences in joining UNPKO. Recently, an interagency delegation, including the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, has been to South Sudan to do a field trip on activities of the UNPKO mission there and worked with relevant agencies. The results of the work confirmed the Vietnamese Party and State’s sound policy on joining UNPKO. The UN agencies highly appreciated Vietnam’s political will, as seen through the latest announcement of Vietnamese Prime Minister at the 12^th Shangri-La Dialogue in late May. Relevant UNPKO agencies expressed their expectations of Vietnam’s participation and showed their readiness to cooperate with and assist Vietnam in officially sending troops for the missions. The field trip showed that Vietnam is capable of sending its troops to UNPKO. Besides the two fields of military engineering and military medicine as planned, it is possible for us to participate in some other fields such as military envoys, staff officers of the envoys, and construction engineering. These are fields where Vietnam has strength and experience. In fact, the policies for those who operate in UNPKO are international and have many similarities with Vietnam’s policies. We have sent many delegates to participate in training courses on UNPKO. Vietnam’s relevant agencies are working to institutionalize Vietnam’s participation in UNPKO. We are also researching to finalize the command mechanism and decentralizing responsibilities of different ministries and branches to ensure that Vietnam’s participation in UNPKO goes in line with the Party and State’s guidelines and is successful. We are also actively preparing to establish Vietnam’s Centre for Peacekeeping Operation Training. This centre will be a training place for Vietnam’s troops and other forces in terms of languages, international law and relevant skills needed in UNPKO. In the forthcoming time, we need to finalize our preparations for legal procedures, mechanisms, policies, selection and dispatching, training, experience sharing with other countries and sign necessary agreements with the UN.

Participating in UNPKO is a new move in implementing the guidelines of the Party on international integration in defense. With its determination and capacity, under the leadership of the CPV, Vietnam’s participation in the UNPKO will surely a success, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the world, heightening the status of Vietnam’s defense and realizing the goals of building and protecting the country.

Senior-Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh

Member of the CPV's Central Committee

Deputy Minister of National Defense

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Note:

1. In June 2005, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to report to the UN that “the Government of Vietnam is preparing and when ready it will participate in UNPKO in the two fields of mine action and military medicine”. This viewpoint was later confirmed by State President Nguyen Minh Triet and General Secretary of the CPV Nong Duc Manh, that Vietnam would send its forces to the UNPKO, mainly in the humanitarian fields that are suitable for Vietnam’s capacity such as military observers, mine action and military medicine, after finalizing its preparations. Most recently, at the 12^th Shangri-La Dialogue, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung once again announced that Vietnam decided to join the UNPKO, firstly in the fields of engineering, military medicine and military observers.

2. So far, the UN has established 68 UNPKO with the participation of 120 countries and the contribution of 700,000 soldiers, policemen and civil workers. At present the UN is maintaining 16 missions with a total of 111,018 people, including 77,702 troops, 12,553 policemen, 1,844 military observers, 5,107 international civil workers, 2,088 volunteers and over 10,000 local workers. Seven out of 10 ASEAN member states, except for Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, have joined the operations.