The broader UN initiatives on Iraq which could begin next month were supported by Washington in an apparent bid to bring together Iraqi factions and neighbouring countries under an international umbrella rather than struggling on its own to bridge the many religious, ethnic and strategic battles opened by the five-year-old war.

The Bush administration is also seeking ways to boost the embattled government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, which has been paralysed by internal political feuds.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he hopes to organize a meeting of foreign ministers from the region at UN headquarters in late September on the sidelines of an annual General Assembly meeting. The United Nations will also be urging discussions among different Iraqi factions, ethnic and religious groups, he said.

"A peaceful and prosperous future is for Iraqis themselves to create, with the international community lending support to their efforts," Ban told the council after the vote. "The United Nations looks forward to working in close partnership with the leaders and people of Iraq to explore how we can further our assistance under the terms of this resolution."

The resolution authorises the United Nations at the request of the Iraqi government to promote political talks among Iraqis and a regional dialogue on issues including border security, energy and refugees as well as help tackling the country's worsening humanitarian crisis, which has spilled into neighbouring countries.

The United States and Britain, co-sponsors of the resolution, believe the world body should do more to use its perceived neutrality to promote dialogue on Iraq.

US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US envoy to Iraq, has said, for example, that Iraq's top Shiite spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, won't talk to the Americans but he will talk to the UN envoy, Ashraf Qazi.

Khalilzad said the unanimous support for the resolution "underscores the widespread belief that what happens in Iraq has strategic implications not only for the region, but for the entire world."

"We hope that this resolution will be a springboard to greater international support for Iraq's government and people," he said.

But Khalilzad stressed that the resolution is not a substitute for the US commitment to Iraq.

"The United States will continue to shoulder all of its responsibilities to assist Iraq's government and people," he said. "We are fully dedicated to success in Iraq, and our commitments to Iraq, to the region, to the UN and to the rest of the international community remain."