The council meeting was called to hear a report by chief UN inspector Hans Blix outlining a dozen issues that Iraq needed to resolve to prove it was disarming peacefully.
With war looming, the session took place in an atmosphere of sadness and defiance, with many members determined not to be sidelined by the conflict. To show its importance, the foreign ministers of Syria and Guinea also attended.
By contrast, the US, Britain and Spain were among the 10 countries represented by their ambassadors. US Secretary of State Colin Powell said he had no intention of coming to New York and US officials made a point of downplaying the meeting's importance.
In a short speech, US Ambassador John Negroponte reiterated that the US believes Saddam had failed to cooperate with UN inspectors and called Blix's program "quite simply out of touch with the reality that we confront."
He said the US and others were preparing a draft resolution that would ensure the continuity of the oil-for-food program, and expressed hope it would be adopted quickly to minimize any interruption of humanitarian assistance.
In looking ahead to a UN role as the Iraq conflict unfolds, Ivanov made clear that there cannot be a political settlement in the country without the Security Council.
"The United Nations has never been so necessary," said de Villepin, whose speech was greeted with applause in the council chamber, as were his two previous presentations against US military action.
But as the meeting broke up, the mood was tense.
"It's a tragedy," said Chile's UN Ambassador Gabriel Valdes.
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