80-year journey for peace of the Vietnam People's Army

The mission of protecting the Fatherland and bringing peace to the nation has been demonstrated by the army "born from the people, fighting for the people" since its early days. Under the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho, the Army, together with the people of the whole country, successfully carried out the August General Uprising in 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The Vietnam People's Army, together with the entire people, overcame all difficulties, challenges, and sacrifices, achieved glorious feats of arms, defeated all invaders, and contributed greatly to the cause of national liberation, construction, and defense of the Fatherland. The revolutionary movement of Vietnam has become a symbol of the national liberation movement around the world .

Level 2 Field Hospital No. 6 and Engineering Team No. 3 of the Vietnam People's Army set out for a United Nations peacekeeping mission, September 2024. Photo: BAO HAN

The country is unified but there are still noble missions. The army fights, works and produces focusing on protecting domestic peace, while fulfilling international obligations, preventing genocide for peace in the region. The revolutionary army is tempered through many difficulties and challenges and constantly develops, gradually becoming a regular, elite, modern force, capable of responding to traditional and non-traditional security challenges.

Over time, the Vietnam People's Army has not only been the core force protecting national sovereignty , sovereign rights, and territorial integrity, but also contributed to maintaining stability in the region and the world. The internal mission of peace has developed into a mission of joining hands with the international community for a peaceful, stable, and developed world. Because perhaps no one, no army understands the price of war and the value of peace like the people and the Vietnam People's Army. This has helped Vietnam step out into the world, the blue beret soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army stand shoulder to shoulder with the forces of member countries with the UN peacekeeping mission.

May 2014 marked a historic turning point when for the first time Vietnam sent the Vietnam People's Army to participate in UN peacekeeping operations. Participating in UN peacekeeping operations helps affirm that Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community. Vietnam's blue beret force has made a very important contribution to Vietnam's multilateral diplomacy. Participating in UN peacekeeping operations helps Vietnam strengthen its position in the international arena.

During 10 years of participating in UN peacekeeping operations, more than 1,100 blue berets have been present in challenging areas such as South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Abyei region with engineering forces, medical personnel, liaison officers, military observers, and staff officers. They have contributed to the missions, spreading the value of the blue berets, providing humanitarian assistance, improving infrastructure, enhancing local capacity, and gradually giving people in conflict areas the right to control their country.

Implementing the Project of the Vietnam People's Army participating in UN peacekeeping activities in the period of 2014-2020 and the following years, the Vietnam People's Army always focuses on preparing quality human resources to participate in UN peacekeeping missions in the field, in order to apply to work at the strategic agency for peacekeeping, the UN headquarters. By 2020, Vietnam had successfully deployed the first military officer to work at the Force Organization Department of this agency in New York. This is an important step, affirming that Vietnam People's Army officers are capable of competing with 192 other member countries when applying to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. In 2021, two other officers continued to pass the selection rounds and work at the Military Planning Department and the Integrated Training Department, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. These officers are in charge of military planning activities for UN peacekeeping missions as well as monitoring programs and organizing peacekeeping training for sending countries. Most recently, in June 2024, the fourth officer of the Vietnam People's Army successfully applied and was selected to work at the Military Capability Assessment Office, Office of Military Affairs, UN Peacekeeping Operations Department. Vietnamese officers at the UN headquarters have provided strategic advice, contributing to the realization of policies and the implementation of plans for Vietnam's increasingly extensive participation in UN peacekeeping missions.

Participation in UN peacekeeping activities demonstrates Vietnam's political commitment to international issues, for a region and a world without gunfire and peace for all. As Mr. Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, said at the 80th Anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army on December 9, 2024: "The United Nations recognizes and highly appreciates the participation of the Vietnam People's Army and the results of Vietnam's participation in UN peacekeeping activities over the past 10 years, when Vietnam sent medical and engineering forces to difficult areas to contribute to peace with the UN. Vietnam attaches great importance to improving the capacity of peacekeeping forces to meet the increasing requirements for effectiveness at missions." On behalf of the UN leadership, the UN Deputy Secretary-General thanked the Vietnam People's Army, acknowledged the positive contributions of the Vietnamese blue beret force, and expressed gratitude to those who died, such as Lieutenant Colonel and martyr Do Anh, who sacrificed his life while performing his duties at the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic, while working with other forces to spread the UN's mission for peace.

From the small Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army in 1944 to a regular, elite, modern army today, the Vietnam People's Army has always maintained its mission for peace in the cause of protecting the Fatherland. The mission for peace is like a red thread running through the length of the country's history, like a source carrying humanistic values, spreading the value of peace from within to the world.

The 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army is not only an occasion to honor the heroic army, the fallen heroes, the officers and soldiers who are day and night guarding the peace of the country in all regions of the country, borders and islands, but also an opportunity to look back at the positive contributions of Uncle Ho's soldiers wearing blue berets to the international peacekeeping mission. The journey for peace of the Vietnam People's Army over the past 80 years has recognized 10 years of participation in the UN peacekeeping mission to contribute to the strategy of protecting the Fatherland early, from afar, right in peacetime and by peaceful means. This journey demonstrates the humanistic values ​​of love for peace, trust and political responsibility - values ​​that contribute to the position of Vietnam in the world, of the Vietnam People's Army - an army for peace, cooperation and development.

Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. TRUONG ANH TUAN, Head of the Working Group at the United Nations Headquarters

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-te/doi-ngoai-quoc-phong/hanh-trinh-80-nam-vi-hoa-binh-cua-quan-doi-nhan-dan-viet-nam-808210