The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution to authorize the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Haiti.
The resolution authorizes the force to "contribute to a secure and stable environment" across Haiti for up to three months, after which a follow-on UN stabilization force would take over.
The measure was taken just hours after the resignation of its President Jean-Bertrand Aristide earlier in the day.
The 15-member council started emergency closed-door consultations at 6 pm (2300 GMT) to discuss a draft resolution circulated by the United States, which is among the so-called friends of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Haiti.