Tuesday, July 12 2005 11:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: In a major step that could radically transform the working of the UN, G-4 countries India, Japan, Germany and Brazil have formally introduced their framework resolution for expansion of the 15-member Security Council in the General Assembly.

The draft calls for enlarging the Security Council from the current 15 members to 25 by creating six new permanent seats without veto power and four non-permanent seats.

Introducing the resolution for debate on behalf of G-4, who are seeking permanent membership of the Council, yesterday night (July 11, 2005), Brazilian UN Ambassador Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg rejected the suggestion that expansion should only be done through consensus, saying democratic expansion of the Council could only be achieved by election of the new permanent members by the 191-member General Assembly.

The date for vote is expected to be decided afterG-4 foreign ministers have had discussions with representatives of African Union (AU) in New York next Sunday ( July 17, 2005) to reconcile differences between AU and G-4 drafts.

Sardenberg said the security structure established in 1945 when the UN was created was "Now glaringly outdated. The Security Council needs to undergo a thorough reform, which includes an expansion of the category of permanent members in order to bring it in line with the contemporary world."

During the first day's inconclusive debate, G-4 found strong support from France, a co-sponsor, Latvia, Poland, Sweden. Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Tavalu, and Bhutan but the strongest criticism, as expected, came from China and Pakistan.

Besides, Pakistan and China, opposition came from Algeria, Argentina, Colombia and San Marino.

Islamabad described the G-4 effort variously as 'unethical,' 'selfish' and 'fruitless.' In a surprise move, Jordan supported the resolution but demanded that Arabs must have one seat.

Speaking on behalf 53-member African Union, Mauritius' UN Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul said AU would put down its own resolution, which was similar to but not exactly same as G-4's draft.

Pakistan circulated a draft prepared by the United for Consensus (UFC) group that calls for expansion in only non-permanent category along with its ambassador Munir Akram's speech but Pakistani sources said they are not going to seek a vote as they are for consensus.

China, which squarely supports the UFC group and opposes election of permanent members to the Council as being proposed by G-4, said forcing through an 'immature formula' of G-4 by means of vote is 'bound to split' member states and regional groups and thus weaken the authority and role of UN.

"China is firmly opposed to setting an artificial timeframe for Security Council reform and reject forcible vote on any formula on which there still exits significant differences," its UN ambassador Wang Guangy said.

Rejecting that the group was forcing the draft for a vote, Sardenberg told the Assembly that for ten months since they got together, the G-4 have had comprehensive talks at the UN and in the capitals with members states and that they stand ready to 'advance dialogue with all those groups that genuinely wish to promote' the strengthening of the world body.