Defence minister Tea Seiha (right) and UN resident coordinator in Cambodia Joseph Scheuer review the honour guard during the welcoming ceremony for Cambodian troops returning from Mali in October 2023. - Photo: Defence ministry file
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has restructured the management of its peacekeeping forces, transferring responsibility from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to the Ministry of National Defence.
Prime Minister Hun Manet explained that peacekeeping missions are closely tied to national defence during the 30th-anniversary celebration of the establishment of Brigade 70 on Tuesday (Oct 15).
“Last night [October 14], I decided, after discussions with [defence minister] Tea Seiha and [foreign minister] Sok Chenda Sophea, to restructure the management of the National Coordination Committee of UN Peacekeeping Operations, which was previously led by the foreign minister,” he said.
“We decided to transfer this responsibility to the defence minister, bringing Peacekeeping Operations [PKO] fully under the defence ministry,” he added.
Under the new structure, a secretary of state from the foreign ministry will serve as a deputy chief to coordinate diplomatic relations with the UN and other countries.
Since 2005, Cambodia has sent nearly 10,000 Blue Helmet troops to participate in UN peacekeeping missions across 10 countries and regions.
Currently, 627 Cambodian troops, including 130 women, are deployed in four countries. Among them, around 180 are stationed in Lebanon, where fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah is ongoing.
Manet instructed Seiha to closely monitor the situation in Lebanon to ensure timely action, including the evacuation of Cambodian troops if necessary.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, commented that transferring management from one ministry to another is not a concern; what matters is the efficiency of the work.
“Firstly, ensuring efficiency is essential. Secondly, the process must comply with Cambodian law and UN principles. It is appropriate to place this work under the defence ministry, as some tasks may involve sensitive or classified information,” he said. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
