The UN General Assembly convened a special meeting on Friday on the crisis in Haiti, where two weeks of deadly clashes have marked a growing rebellion against President Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Kieran Prendergast, the UN's head of political affairs, told delegates that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will soon appoint a special advisor for Haiti but that the international community must take action.
"The current situation is alarming and dangerous," he said. "We are assessing our own role to see how the UN could be more helpful in facilitating mediation efforts."
Prendergast added that the world body "has no political presence" in the country, meaning that the UN's ability to read the political situation on the ground was "limited and needs strengthening".