[JURIST] The UN Security Council [official website] approved a resolution Tuesday that encourages Secretary-General Kofi Annan [official profile] to work more closely with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) [official website]. All 15 Security Council members voted for Resolution 1699 [press release and text], co-sponsored by the US, Britain and Denmark, which says that more cooperation would increase the effectiveness of UN sanctions such as arms embargoes, travel restrictions and asset freezes.

Last year, the Security Council adopted another resolution [text] requesting that Interpol add the names of suspected terrorists to its databases to aid the UN fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban [UN materials]. Since then, the Security Council has listed nearly 500 individuals and groups [UN list] with Interpol. Reuters has more. The UN News Centre has additional coverage.