A/RES/49/57 Page 4 (e) The Security Council shall at all times be kept fully informed of activities undertaken or in contemplation under regional arrangements or by regional agencies for the maintenance of international peace and security; 2. Regional arrangements or agencies can, in their fields of competence and in accordance with the Charter, make important contributions to the maintenance of international peace and security, including, where appropriate, through the peaceful settlement of disputes, preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peace-keeping and post-conflict peace-building; 3. Cooperation between regional arrangements or agencies and the United Nations, in the maintenance of international peace and security, may take various forms, including, inter alia: (a) levels; Exchange of information and the holding of consultations at all (b) Participation as appropriate in the work of the United Nations organs, in accordance with the applicable rules of procedure and practices; Making available personnel, material and other assistance, where (c) appropriate; 4. Cooperation between regional arrangements or agencies and the United Nations should be in accordance with their respective mandates, scope and composition and should take place in forms that are suited to each specific situation, in accordance with the Charter; 5. Regional efforts undertaken by regional arrangements or agencies in the area of the maintenance of international peace and security, within their respective fields of competence and in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter, should be encouraged and, where appropriate, supported by the Security Council; 6. States participating in regional arrangements or agencies are encouraged to consider the possibility of increasing efforts at the regional level for the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with the Charter; 7. States participating in regional arrangements or agencies are encouraged to promote confidence-building at the regional level for the maintenance of international peace and security; 8. States participating in regional arrangements or agencies are encouraged to consider the possibility of using or, where appropriate, establishing or improving at the regional level procedures and mechanisms for the early detection, the prevention and the peaceful settlement of disputes, in close coordination with the preventive efforts of the United Nations; 9. Regional arrangements or agencies are encouraged to consider, as appropriate, in their fields of competence, ways and means for promoting closer cooperation and coordination with the United Nations with the aim of contributing to the fulfilment of the purposes and principles of the Charter, including in the fields of preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and post-conflict peace-building, and where appropriate, peace-keeping; 10. Regional arrangements or agencies are encouraged to consider, in their fields of competence, the possibility of establishing and training