UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council unanimously voted Tuesday to extend the mandate for states to fight Somali pirates and urge the United Nations to play a coordinating role in the endeavor.

The United Nations Security Council holds a meeting to discuss the issue of fighting Somali pirates, at the UN headquarters in New York Dec. 2, 2008. The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted resolution 1846 extending the mandate for states to fight Somali pirates and urging the UN to play a coordinating role in the endeavor. (Xinhua/Hou Jun) Photo Gallery>>>

    Resolution 1846 was the third such document that has been adopted by the 15-member body since June with an aim to fight the scourge of Somali pirates.

    Through the resolution, the council decided to extend for 12 months the mandate for states and regional organizations to fight piracy at sea off the coast of Somalia.

    The council requested UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to deliver to it a report within three months on ways for the United Nations to protect humanitarian vessels and to coordinate and assist states and regional groups in their fight against piracy.

    The council welcomed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for its decision to counter piracy off the Somalia coast, and "strongly" welcomed the decision by the European Union in November to launch a naval operation to protect humanitarian vessels and other vulnerable ships, and to "repress acts of piracyand armed robbery."

The Somali representative attends as a nonvoting delegate the United Nations Security Council meeting discussing the issue of fighting Somali pirates, at the UN headquarters in New York Dec. 2, 2008. The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted resolution 1846 extending the mandate for states to fight Somali pirates and urging the UN to play a coordinating role in the endeavor. (Xinhua/Hou Jun) Photo Gallery>>>

    It also called on states and regional groups that "have the capacity to do so, to take part actively in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, in particular by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft."

    The council further called on them to coordinate their efforts to deter acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea in cooperation with each other.

    It called on all states to "cooperate in determining jurisdiction, and in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia."

China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Zhang Yesui votes for the UN Security Council Resolution 1846 during the Security Council meeting discussing the issue of fighting Somali pirates, at the UN headquarters in New York Dec. 2, 2008. The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted resolution 1846 extending the mandate for states to fight Somali pirates and urging the UN to play a coordinating role in the endeavor. (Xinhua/Hou Jun) Photo Gallery>>>

    Previously, the Security Council had successively adopted resolution 1816 on June 2 and resolution 1838 on Oct. 7, all with a purpose to fight the worsening piracy off the Somali coast.