            United Nations                                                                    S/RES/1631 (2005)
            Security Council                                               Distr.: General
                                                                           17 October 2005




            Resolution 1631 (2005)
            Adopted by the Security Council at its 5282nd meeting, on
            17 October 2005

                 The Security Council,
                 Recalling Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations,
                 Reaffirming its previous relevant resolutions and presidential statements,
                 Welcoming the adoption of the 2005 World Summit Outcome (A/RES/60/1),
                  Recalling its invitation of January 1993 to regional organizations to improve
            coordination with the United Nations, the Declaration of the General Assembly of
            December 1994 on the enhancement of cooperation between the United Nations and
            regional arrangements or agencies (A/RES/49/57), its meeting on “The Security
            Council and Regional Organizations: Facing the New Challenges to international
            Peace and Security”, held on 11 April 2003 under the Mexican presidency, and its
            debate on “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in
            stabilization processes”, held on 20 July 2004 under the Romanian presidency,
                 Welcoming the Conclusions of the Chairman of the Sixth High-Level Meeting
            between the United Nations and Regional and other Intergovernmental
            Organizations (25-26 July 2005),
                 Reiterating its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international
            peace and security,
                 Emphasizing that the growing contribution made by regional organizations in
            cooperation with the United Nations can usefully complement the work of the
            organization in maintaining international peace and security, and stressing in this
            regard that such contribution must be made in accordance with Chapter VIII of the
            United Nations Charter,
                 Recognizing the necessity to support capacity-building and cooperation at
            regional and subregional level in maintaining international peace and security, and
            noting in particular the importance of strengthening the capacity of African regional
            and subregional organizations,
                  Acknowledging the resolve of Heads of State and Government of the 2005
            World Summit to expand, as appropriate, the involvement of regional organizations
            in the work of the Security Council, and to ensure that regional organizations that


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S/RES/1631 (2005)


               have a capacity for the prevention of armed conflict or peacekeeping consider the
               option of placing such capacity in the framework of the United Nations Standby
               Arrangements System,
                    Welcoming the decision in the World Summit Outcome to establish a
               Peacebuilding Commission, and looking forward to it as an important opportunity
               for cooperation and close contact with regional and subregional organizations in
               post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery,
                    1.   Expresses its determination to take appropriate steps to the further
               development of cooperation between the United Nations and regional and
               subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security, consistent
               with Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, and invites regional and
               subregional organizations that have a capacity for conflict prevention or
               peacekeeping to place such capacities in the framework of the United Nations
               Standby Arrangements System;
                     2.   Urges all States and relevant international organizations to contribute to
               strengthening the capacity of regional and subregional organizations, in particular of
               African regional and subregional organizations, in conflict prevention and crisis
               management, and in post-conflict stabilization, including through the provision of
               human, technical and financial assistance, and welcomes in this regard the
               establishment by the European Union of the Peace Facility for Africa;
                    3.   Stresses the importance for the United Nations of developing regional
               and subregional organizations’ ability to deploy peacekeeping forces rapidly in
               support of United Nations peacekeeping operations or other Security Councilmandated operations, and welcomes relevant initiatives taken in this regard;
                     4.   Stresses the potential role of regional and subregional organizations in
               addressing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and the need to take into
               account in the peacekeeping operations’ mandates, where appropriate, the regional
               instruments enabling states to identify and trace illegal small arms and light
               weapons;
                     5.   Reiterates the need to encourage regional cooperation, including through
               the involvement of regional and subregional organizations in the peaceful settlement
               of disputes, and to include, where appropriate, specific provisions to this aim in
               future mandates of peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations authorized by the
               Security Council;
                     6.   Welcomes the efforts undertaken by its subsidiary bodies with
               responsibilities in counter-terrorism to foster cooperation with regional and
               subregional organizations, notes with appreciation the efforts made by an increasing
               number of regional and subregional organizations in the fight against terrorism and
               urges all relevant regional and subregional organizations to enhance the
               effectiveness of their counter-terrorism efforts within their respective mandates,
               including with a view to develop their capacity to help Member States in their
               efforts to tackle the threats to international peace and security posed by acts of
               terrorism;
                     7.   Expresses its intention to hold regular meetings as appropriate with heads
               of regional and subregional organizations in order to strengthen the interaction and
               cooperation with these organizations in maintaining international peace and security,



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ensuring if possible that such meetings coincide with the annual high-level meetings
held by the United Nations with regional and other intergovernmental organizations
for better efficiency of participation and substantive complementarity of agendas;
     8.    Recommends better communication between the United Nations and
regional and subregional organizations through, notably, liaison officers and holding
of consultations at all appropriate levels;
     9.    Reiterates the obligation for regional organizations, under article 54 of
the Charter, to keep the Security Council fully informed of their activities for the
maintenance of international peace and security;
      10. Invites the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Security Council
on the opportunities and challenges facing the cooperation between the United
Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international
peace and security, and encourages the Secretary-General to explore with regional
organizations the possibility of agreements establishing a framework for regional
organizations’ cooperation with and contributions to United Nations-led
peacekeeping operations, taking into due consideration the cooperation guidelines
already identified between the UN and certain regional organizations;
     11. Requests the Secretary-General, where appropriate, to include in his
regular reporting to the Security Council on peacekeeping and peacebuilding
operations under its mandate, assessments of progress on the cooperation between
the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations;
     12.   Decides to remain seized of the matter.




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