Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operations Training Centres meeting concludes

This is the first time Vietnam has hosted the event and assumed the role of Chairmanship of AAPTC.

Themed “Indo-Pacific Actions Supporting United Nations Action-for-Peace Initiative (A4P) Improving Performance in Peace Operations”, the four-day event achieved all the goals and requirements as planned.

Major General Abu Saleh Mohammad Ridwanur Rahman, President of the AAPTC Secretariat, spoke highly of Vietnam’s organisation, affirming that the theme of this year’s event was emphasised through presentations in the area of women, peace and security; issues of protection, safety-security, and partnerships.

Speeches at the event mentioned challenges facing peacekeeping activities at UN missions, he said.

He expressed his belief that all representatives of AAPTC member countries have taken valuable experience away from the meeting.

The annual meeting has created a premise for AAPTC member countries to re-establish their collective working methods towards a common goal and successfully implement contents stated in the roadmap discussed at the event, he said.

The conference is the ideal event to open up new relationships and strengthen cooperation among members, he said, adding that AAPTC members countries need to take the opportunity to support each other for greater goals of humankind and for peace in the world.

The Secretariat of AAPTC is committed to supporting Australia - the rotating President of the association in 2023, to ensure the most favourable conditions for AAPTC’s activities.

In his closing speech, Major General Hoang Kim Phung, head of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations and AAPTC Chairperson in 2022, affirmed that the meeting created an official and important forum for the association’s member countries to “restart” after a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby updating the association's development and sharing lessons and learning from each other.

Participants also emphasised the necessity to adjust commitments and resources to meet the UN’s requirements and challenges facing missions in the field in training, deployment, and command and force control; and further increase security for UN peacekeeping forces; promote an agenda on women, peace and security, the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) and the Action for Peacekeeping Plus (A4P).

They agreed to prioritise common strategies and plans, aiming to promote initiatives, improvements and capacity building measures to respond to existing challenges, as well as to improve the efficiency of the UN peacekeeping operations.

The meeting approved important documents, including a joint declaration, a joint communiqué and AAPTC’s amended and supplemented Charter.

At the closing ceremony, Vietnam handed over the flag of the Chairmanship of the AAPTC to Australia.