UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday stressed the importance of cooperation between the 192-nation world body and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security.

    The secretary-general made the statement when speaking to an open Council meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations.

    This week's retreat with the heads of regional organizations on how to coordinate efforts has provided food for thought and specific ideas for strengthening cooperation, Ban said.

The Un Security Council holds a debate at the UN headquarters in New York, Jan. 13, 2010. The UN Security Council on Wednesday discussed ways of further enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations in maintaining international peace and security and tackling global crises.

He said that the participants at the retreat have identified areas where there is room for improvement, including coordination and communication between their respective inter-governmental bodies and secretariats.

    Among other things, he said, they discussed the need for better clarity in mediation arrangements; the right balance between flexibility and efficiency in peacekeeping deployments; the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need in a timely manner; and the need to increase cooperation on peacebuilding.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks during a debate of the UN Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York, Jan. 13, 2010. The UN Security Council on Wednesday discussed ways of further enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations in maintaining international peace and security and tackling global crises

    Also taking the floor at the Council session were heads of such regional organizations as the League of Arab States, African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Collective Security Treaty Organizations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Organization of American States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and Shanghai Cooperation Organization.