UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua ) -- The UN Security Council Wednesday issued a presidential statement, calling for enhanced partnership between the world body and regional and sub-regional organizations in maintaining the international peace and security.

    The Security Council will take further steps to promote closer and more operational cooperation between the world body and regional and sub-regional organizations in the fields of conflict early warning, prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building, said the presidential statement.

    The council underlined the importance of utilizing the existing and potential capabilities of regional and sub-regional organizations in the regard of peaceful settlement of local disputes and preventive diplomacy and other security challenges, the statement said.

    It also encouraged countries in the region to resolve differences peacefully through dialogue, reconciliation, consultation, negotiation, good offices, mediation and judicial settlement of disputes.

    The 15-member Security Council Wednesday kicked off an open thematic debate on the cooperation between the United Nations and the regional and sub-regional organizations on international peace and security under the initiation of China, which holds the rotating Council presidency for January.

    Zhang Yesui, the Council president and Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations chaired the debate.

    Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the debate that the UN has conducted effective cooperation with regional organizations to prevent, manage and resolve crises.

    The Security Council has made "ample, though differentiated, use of global-regional partnerships," he said.

    "The UN continues to bolster its capacity to prevent conflicts and mediate solutions, and improve ability to deploy more effective peacekeeping, peace building and humanitarian presences," Ban told the council.

    Representatives from 11 regional and sub-regional organizations, including the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), attended the debate.