On the afternoon of June 26, with 445/445 delegates in favor, the National Assembly passed the Law on Participating in United Nations peacekeeping forces (UN peacekeeping forces).
Before the National Assembly delegates pressed the button to approve, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on National Defense, Security and External Affairs Le Tan Toi presented a report explaining and revising the draft law.
Regarding the subjects of application, Mr. Le Tan Toi said that there are opinions suggesting clarifying the legal basis for adding subjects of application such as cadres, civil servants, and public employees of the State to participate in the peacekeeping force of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
Because Clause 2, Article 89 of the 2013 Constitution only stipulates that "people's armed forces participate in activities that contribute to protecting peace in the region and the world".
With this content, Mr. Le Tan Toi said that the overall project on Vietnam participating in the League of Nations peacekeeping activities had been approved by the Politburo in November 2012, and there was content to consider sending civil servants to participate in the League of Nations peacekeeping activities.
In current practice, countries such as China, Japan, the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Germany, ... have sent Government civil servants to participate in the positions of medical expert, legal expert, chief of staff, field support director.
Therefore, the mention of civilians in the draft law is a legal basis for Vietnam to deploy forces, meeting practical requirements.
Article 2 of the law passed by the National Assembly stipulates the subjects of application including: Officers, professional soldiers, workers and defense officials, non-commissioned officers, soldiers and units under the Ministry of National Defense; officers, non-commissioned officers of the professional, technical expertise, police workers, soldiers and units under the Ministry of Public Security sent to join the peacekeeping force of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
Other subjects are cadres, civil servants, and public employees sent to join the Vietnam Fatherland Front's peacekeeping force; agencies, units, organizations, and individuals related to participating in the Vietnam Fatherland Front's peacekeeping force.
Regarding the development and direction, command, management and operation of Vietnamese forces participating in peacekeeping activities in the United Nations, many opinions suggested reviewing regulations on selection to avoid overlapping content.
Some opinions suggested assigning the Ministry of National Defense to preside over and coordinate with ministries, departments, branches and localities to direct and manage the operation of the civil force; suggesting to clearly stipulate that each Party Cell "has a Commander"; specifying the competent authority to appoint the Commander of the Vietnamese Forces at the Party Cell.
Regarding this content, Mr. Le Tan Toi said that civil subjects only participate in an individual form, the selection, sending of participants and management will be carried out by the governing body.
If a Ministry is assigned to manage this force, it will not be in accordance with the Law on Cadres, Civil Servants and the Law on Public Employees.
Regarding the Commander of the Vietnamese Forces at the Party Committee, in response to the opinions of National Assembly deputies, the National Assembly Standing Committee has revised the regulation "each Party Committee has one Commander".
At the same time, the Government is assigned to regulate the authority to appoint the Commander of the Vietnamese Forces at the Ministry as prescribed in Article 19 of the draft Law for submission to the National Assembly for approval.
