The UN police delegation concluded its comprehensive inspection of Viet Nam’s Police Peacekeeping Unit No. 1 (VNFPU1) after three working days of serious and effective work, on October 10, at the Center for Training and Development of Peacekeeping Capabilities in Hoang Hoa Tham Commune, Hung Yen Province. This is an important step in preparing for the official assessment of the unit for Level 4 — the highest level in the UN’s rapid deployment readiness system.
Prior to the field inspection, on October 7, the delegation, led by the Acting Assistant Secretary-General of the UN, Head of the UN Office for Mine Action and Police, and UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar, as the head of delegation, directly inspected and evaluated VNFPU1's operational capabilities through exercises responding to complex security situations in the mission area.
Under the command of the VNFPU1 Board of Management, nearly 200 police peacekeepers diligently participated in the drill, showcasing the firm, elite operational capabilities of the Ministry of Public Security’s peacekeeping police force.
VNFPU1's readiness capacity was also evaluated by UN experts in the fields of logistical support and personnel competency.
During October 8–9, the inspection team conducted interviews to assess the command capacity of key personnel, including practical experience, situation management and control abilities, foreign language proficiency, as well as rank and professional standards as prescribed by the UN.
A mandatory requirement for all officers participating in the unit's lineup is weapons handling skills. All members must be fully trained and pass marksmanship tests according to UN standards.
Officers performing specialized duties, such as drivers, were also tested on their ability to operate specialized vehicles to ensure they can drive safely under actual terrain conditions at the missions.
When deployed to a mission, VNFPU1 must be capable of independently sustaining all camp operations at its deployment site, including electricity, water, and communications, and ensuring living, medical, and cultural conditions. For this reason, UN experts spent considerable time inspecting, assessing, and consulting in detail on these items.
In particular, the inspection delegation highly appreciated VNFPU1 regarding gender equality, as female officers accounted for nearly 30% of the unit, higher than the standard set by the UN.
At the conclusion of the inspection, the UN delegation acknowledged and highly appreciated the preparation work regarding personnel, training, equipment, facilities, and logistics for the inspection. At the same time, they provided recommendations to help the Ministry of Public Security better prepare for the Unit, ensuring it meets UN standards to undergo the official evaluation for upgrade to the highest level in the rapid deployment readiness system.
After three days of working directly with VNFPU1, Head of the Recruitment Section under the UN Police Division Mehmet Ata Yenigun shared that what the expert delegation witnessed up to this point was truly impressive. VNFPU1 met the necessary standards and demonstrated a high level of readiness. The drill showed very good capabilities of the unit, from protecting VIPs and rescuing hostages to applying appropriate measures in the use of force in accordance with UN regulations.
