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 physical facilities and technical infrastructure.
On May 23, the Conference to review the implementation of Decree No. 5/162/ND-CP dated December 2016, 14 stipulating a number of regimes and policies for individuals and assurance work for Vietnamese organizations participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations was held in Hanoi.
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| 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 Steering Committee of the Ministry of National Defense on participation in UN peacekeeping activities chaired the conference.
The conference aimed to comprehensively evaluate the implementation and results of Decree No. 162/2016/ND-CP; difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of Decree No. 162/2016/ND-CP; inadequacies in regimes and policies for individuals and assurance work for Vietnamese organizations participating in UN peacekeeping activities.
From here, specific recommendations will be identified 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 in order to ensure regimes and policies for individuals and assurance for units participating in UN peacekeeping activities.
Reporting at the conference, Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Safeguarding (Ministry of National Defense) said that from June 6 to now, Vietnam has sent 2014 turns of professional officers and soldiers to carry out UN peacekeeping missions in two forms as individuals and units.
Since the deployment of forces, leaders at all levels have paid attention to, regularly monitored, facilitated and issued many guidelines and policies on remuneration for forces participating in UN peacekeeping activities.
Accordingly, the promulgation of Decree No. 162/2016/ND-CP dated December 14, 12 of the Government stipulating a number of regimes and policies for individuals and assurance work for Vietnamese organizations participating in UN peacekeeping activities has timely and encouraged this force, contributing to ensuring that Vietnamese forces successfully complete the tasks assigned by the Party, State and UN.
However, the report also points out a number of limitations, problems and inadequacies: the Decree does not cover all subjects to be applied due to the lack of synchronization in the system of legal documents regulating the participation in UN peacekeeping activities, there are still shortcomings in the mode of payment of allowances as a percentage of the UN's average payment for individuals participating in the form of commanding units, especially in each position.
In addition, the priority regime and policies for female forces are not comprehensive and not highly encouraging. The assurance work for organizations and units is not adequate and not suitable for each type of unit as prescribed; 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.
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| Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Safeguarding, presented the report at the Conference. (Photo: Trong Duc) |
The Decree also has no regulations and guidelines on the local subsidy regime for forces participating in UN peacekeeping activities; there are no regulations or guidelines to support expenses incurred when the flight is canceled due to the security situation; ensure travel expenses during the leave, work away from the unit.
Addressing 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 needed to meet much higher requirements than before due to the working environment in the world's most difficult place in terms of physical facilities and technical infrastructure; The life of the local people is difficult, the environment is complicated and there is a potential risk of disease transmission.
According to Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet, under the conditions set forth, with much higher mission requirements, Decree 162 needs to be amended and supplemented accordingly, meeting the requirements, but most importantly, unifying the domestic forces participating in the UN peacekeeping force with the highest political responsibility.
At the Conference, representatives of agencies and units contributed ideas on such issues as: Policy regimes for female forces participating in UN peacekeeping activities; financial assurance, logistics; difficulties and inadequacies when implementing Decree 162…; propose directions to ensure regimes and policies for forces participating in peacekeeping activities in the coming time.
Delegates all said that it is necessary to have better support policies for forces participating in UN peacekeeping activities, in line with the actual situation and new problems arising in the course of task performance.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Conference, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien agreed and highly appreciated the summary report and comments; that, the report clearly outlines the advantages and limitations in the process of implementing Decree 162. Deputy Minister Hoang Xuan Chien also agreed with the proposal to amend and supplement Decree 162 in the direction appropriate to the tasks in the new situation.
In the coming time, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security and those directly involved in UN peacekeeping activities continue to wish 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 the forces operating in the missions.
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| Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and delegates met at the Conference. (Photo: Trong Duc) |
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien assigned the task, agencies and units regularly send forces to participate in UN peacekeeping operations in both individual and unit forms, it is necessary to continue to thoroughly grasp and organize the strict implementation of the regulations of the Ministry, especially related to the regimes and policies according to Decree 162 in order to thoroughly grasp the cadres and soldiers to feel secure and excited to receive the task.
Regarding the request to submit to the Government to amend and supplement a number of articles of Decree 162 in accordance with the order of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents in 2015, the Policy Department, the General Department of Politics and the Department of Safeguarding of Vietnam will closely coordinate with the departments, ministries, branches and agencies and units to carry out all steps according to the process, select the issues that need to be amended and supplemented in order to research and prepare a dossier.
