Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, attends the debate on Monday. —VNA/VNS Photo

NEW YORK — Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, condemned deliberate attacks targeting UN peacekeepers during a UN Security Council (UNSC) open debate via video teleconference on Monday.

The debate on 'UN peacekeeping operations: Improving Safety and Security of Peacekeepers' was attended by Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare and Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud.

UN peacekeepers play a very important role in de-escalating tension and ending conflicts, enforcing ceasefires and political agreements, protecting civilians and facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance, according to the ambassador. They help fulfil the UN mission's mandate and the responsibility of the UNSC in maintaining international peace and security.

However, peacekeepers have faced a growing number of deliberate attacks and accidents, he said, urging all parties to observe international laws and UNSC resolutions to enhance their safety.

The Vietnamese ambassador asked the UN and member states to double efforts to improve peacekeepers’ preparedness through training and updating training programmes among others, while ensuring they are fully equipped with necessary facilities, information and resources, and protected against emerging threats, such as COVID-19 and improvised explosive devices. He also called for more attention to be paid to protecting female peacekeepers.

He reiterated Việt Nam’s support for UN peacekeeping operations and said the country attached great importance to guaranteeing the safety and security of peacekeepers.

According to the UN, since 2013, more than 260 peacekeepers have died as a result of malicious attacks, and there have been a considerable number of casualties due to factors such as illness, traffic accidents and other causes.

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected the implementation of peacekeeping mandates but also posed serious challenges to the safety and security of peacekeepers. Recently, terrorism, malicious attacks and armed conflicts have cost the lives of a number of peacekeepers in Mali, the Central African Republic and other mission areas. — VNS