Security Council urges closer cooperation between UN and regional organizations

The Security Council today called for enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, which have over the past decade played an increasingly important role in supporting countries emerging from conflict.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1631, the Council invited regional and subregional organizations that have a capacity for conflict prevention or peacekeeping to work in the framework of the UN Standby Arrangements System. That structure allows countries to commit specified resources – including military formations, specialized personnel, material and equipment – within agreed response times for UN peacekeeping operations.

A number of regional organizations have worked in one way or another with the UN to promote peace and security, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Organization of American States (OAS), the African Union (AU) and NATO.

Today’s resolution urged all States and relevant international organizations to contribute personnel as well as technical and financial assistance to regional and subregional organizations, particularly those in Africa. It also stressed the importance of developing their ability to deploy peacekeeping forces rapidly in support of UN peacekeeping operations.

The Council welcomed efforts by Security Council subsidiary bodies with responsibilities in counter-terrorism to foster cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, and voiced appreciation for the contributions of “an increasing number of regional and subregional organizations” in the fight against terrorism.

“Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic growth in the range of partnerships between regional organizations and the United Nations in support of countries emerging from conflict,” Secretary-General Kofi Annan said at the outset of the meeting, which saw the participation of over a dozen speakers, including many from regional organizations.

“The task now ahead of us is to make sure that our cooperation mechanisms work as well as possible,” he added. “They must be effective, efficient, and mutually reinforcing. They must be flexible and responsive to our rapidly changing and integrating world.”

The Secretary-General called for progress in strengthening capacity, exploiting comparative strengths, dealing with conflict in a holistic way, and reinforcing a collective approach to security. “The UN's partnerships with regional organizations must provide the means to meet, rather than to avoid, our responsibilities under the Charter to provide an effective international response to violent conflict, wherever it occurs,” he said.

In a concept paper presented to Council members for discussion at the meeting, Romania says that currently, the relationship between the UN and regional organizations is carried out in an unplanned manner.

“Given the significant participation of regional organizations in maintaining peace and security all over the world, the time is right for the relationship between the Council and regional organizations to become more focused and organized,” the paper says.