UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Speaks Highly of Vietnam's UXO Clearance Efforts

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UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix speaks at the press briefing in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

With unexploded ordnance (UXO) still affecting 17.7% of Vietnam’s total land area, the scale of the challenge remains immense. At the current clearance rate of 40,000 to 50,000 hectares per year, removing UXO from the estimated 5.6 million hectares of contaminated land could take between 150 and 180 years, according to UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

The widespread presence of UXO continues to hinder socio-economic development, posing risks to infrastructure projects, agriculture, and education, he noted.

Despite these difficulties, Lacroix commended Vietnam’s strong political will and commitment to addressing the issue, emphasizing the country’s ambitious efforts to accelerate the process. Vietnam is developing a plan to reduce the clearance timeline to 35–40 years, aiming to make contaminated land safe up to a depth of 0.5 meters by 2065. To support this initiative, the government is drafting a new ordinance on post-war UXO remediation and a national strategy for mine risk education.

The UN official highlighted three key lessons from Vietnam’s approach that are valuable for the international community: strong political determination and national ownership, robust institutional frameworks—including a national steering committee and a long-term action plan—and clear policy guidance on bomb and mine action.

He emphasized the importance of integrating mine clearance efforts with broader socio-economic development goals and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting Vietnam’s initiatives in addressing the consequences of unexploded ordnance (UXO), ensuring safety and stability for affected communities.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix praises Vietnam as a responsible, active member of the international community, strongly committed to multilateralism and maintaining a sustainable partnership with the UN (Photo: VNA)

Lacroix praised Vietnam as an active and responsible member of the international community, committed to multilateralism and a sustainable partnership with the UN. He described Vietnam as a "model" of political commitment and decisive action in mine remediation.

Beyond UXO clearance, Vietnam has gained international recognition for its contributions to UN peacekeeping operations. Vietnamese peacekeepers, including police officers, engineers in Abyei, and level-2 field hospitals in South Sudan, have made significant impacts and earned appreciation from local communities. The Ministry of Public Security is also preparing personnel for future deployments.

Expressing gratitude for Vietnam’s collaboration with the UN, Lacroix commended its growing role in peacekeeping missions. Since June 2014, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence has deployed nearly 1,100 personnel to UN peacekeeping operations and the UN Headquarters, both individually and in unit-based formations.

Vietnam has sent approximately 153 officers as staff officers and military observers to missions such as UNMISS (South Sudan), MINUSCA (Central African Republic), UNISFA (Abyei), and the UN Headquarters in New York.

Additionally, Vietnam has operated six level-2 field hospitals at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) since October 2018, and since May 2022, has dispatched three engineering teams to the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei.

Notably, Vietnam boasts one of the highest proportions of female personnel in UN peacekeeping missions, with women comprising over 16% of its deployed forces—well above the global average. The Ministry of National Defence has committed to increasing female participation, aiming for over 20% in individual roles and over 15% in unit-based deployments for the 2025–2030 period.

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