International Forum – Women in Peacekeeping – A Key to Peace “Enhancing the Participation of Female Police Officers in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations – Global Perspectives and Vietnam’s Contribution

The inclusion of uniformed women in United Nations peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs) is crucial for more effective and comprehensive peacekeeping. Gender-integrated teams bring greater access to communities, particularly women, and enhance the operational effectiveness of peace missions. Women peacekeepers often have improved access to local communities and serve as role models, inspiring other women to engage in peacebuilding and political processes. Their presence broadens the skillset of peacekeeping teams, allowing for better delivery of mandates, such as protecting civilians and promoting peace, by reflecting the communities they serve. Gender-integrated teams are also able to access diverse spaces and improve the quality of service to all members of the community, especially women and girls. Moreover, gender-integrated leadership within peacekeeping missions makes decision-making sounder and community oriented, reflecting the needs of those they serve and fostering greater trust and confidence in the process. Women peacekeepers challenge traditional gender roles in peacekeeping, inspiring future generations of women to become leaders and advocates for their rights. Upholding gender equality and non-discrimination is not only a core principle of the United Nations but also essential for advancing the broader goals of peace, security, and social justice globally.

Viet Nam is strongly committed to participating in UN peacekeeping operations and has achieved remarkable results in deploying its forces, including the deployment of female officers to the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations (UN PKOs). The number of Vietnamese policewomen officers participating in the UN PKOS up to now has reached a rate of over 30% (higher than the minimum required rate of 20%), which is recognized and highly appreciated by the UN.

However, in order to ensure a stable, long-term, broad and deep source of participation, it is still necessary to study and consider promoting the participation of female officers, in line with the orientation of increasing the proportion of women in the UN PKOS to ensure diversity and effectiveness in the implementation of tasks.

The Forum is organized on the occasion of the visit of UN Deputy Secretary-General H.E. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, demonstrating the commitment of the Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam to the full participation of the Vietnamese police force in general and strengthening the participation of female officers of the Vietnamese Police Force in particular in UN PKOS activities. This is also an affirmative action of the Ministry to work to promote gender equality to contribute to achieving the goals in UN PKOS.

This Forum will be an important premise for developing a long-term strategy to increase the participation of policewomen officers in the PKOS, in line with the UN goal of gender equality in the PKOS.

Objectives

The main objective of the Forum to share and exchange information on UN Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs), highlighting the Ministry of Public Security’s commitment to promoting both individual and police unit’s in UNPKOs. The forum will evaluate the current participation of female officers from the Vietnamese Armed Forces in UN PKOs, identify gaps, and share international best practices to increase the percentage of female officers, fostering greater gender equality in peacekeeping. It will also promote and disseminate information to inspire female police officers to register for participation. Additionally, the forum will strengthen cooperation between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, the UN, and UN Women to advance gender inclusion in peacekeeping, supporting the implementation of Vietnam’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), aligning with the country’s commitment to gender equality in peacekeeping and the success of the NAP WPS.