UN ties with regional groups should focus on strengths - Security Council

Calling on regional organizations to increase their collaboration with the United Nations on stabilizing countries emerging from war or crisis, the Security Council said today that future partnerships must focus on using the comparative strengths of the two sides.

In a statement read out at an open meeting by Prime Minister Adrian Nastase of Romania, holder of this month's presidency, the Council said regional groups play an "important role" in preventing, managing and resolving conflicts, especially in tackling the root causes of problems.

The 15 members said that, while the Security Council should always maintain primary responsibility for global peace and security, the UN and regional organizations would both benefit from cooperating more on building stability.

"It was stressed that common and coordinated efforts undertaken by the UN and regional organizations in stabilization processes should be based on complementarity and their comparative advantages, making full use of their experience," the statement read.

Inviting regional bodies to work more closely with the UN, the Council suggested the groups exchange information and hold more frequent talks about how to respond to crises. It also called on Member States to provide human, financial and technical assistance to regional groups so they can fulfil their role.

Briefing the Council at the start of its session, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said regional organizations are often better placed to respond immediately to crises, but in the long run only a UN operation has the legitimacy and resources to be effective.

Later, briefing reporters, Mr. Nastase said "we cannot and should not aim at a doctrine" to cover every partnership between the UN and a regional organizations, because each crisis demanded an individual response. But he said the international community should formulate a set of parameters to guide future partnerships.

Video of meeting:

- am session [3hrs 21mins]

- pm session [1hr 10mins]