The United Nations seeks strong partnerships with regional organizations, which are playing a growing role in the maintenance of international peace and security – helping, in effect, to share the burden. The U.N. acknowledges is cannot go it alone in confronting many conflicts around the globe, and that regional organizations are at times best positioned to understand and to influence crises close to home.

On behalf of the Secretary-General, the Department of Political Affairs coordinates the process of high-level meetings between the United Nations and Regional and other Intergovernmental Organizations. High-level meetings held between 1994 and 2006 have helped to expand and deepen inter-organizational relationships. In 2007, DPA undertook an assessment of the process in order to make it most effective, in view of the increased and more diverse participation.

Improved cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations was also a theme of the 2005 World Summit at the United Nations in New York, in September 2005. World leaders supported a stronger relationship between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations, pursuant to Chapter VIII of the Charter. Member States placed particular attention to meeting the special needs of Africa. In 2006, the UN and the AU signed a 10-Year Capacity-Building Programme for the African Union (A/61/630). DPA has since been working with the African Union to address its needs in the area of political and security affairs, including conflict prevention and mediation support, electoral assistance, and support to AU policy organs.

Cooperation with regional organizations is also on the Security Council’s agenda, which has convened a number of meetings since 2003. On 16 April 2008, the Council discussed the "Report of the Secretary-General on the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union, in the maintenance of international peace and security", and subsequently adopted resolution 1809 (2008) that endorses specific proposals to improve cooperation. It requested the Secretary-General to include in his regular reporting to the Security Council, assessments of progress on the cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations.