Opponents of the idea to increase the permanent seats on the UN Security Council circulated a working paper on Friday calling for an increase of 10 non- permanent seats on the body.

The proposal would bring to 20 the number of non-permanent seats on the Security Council. Under the proposal, all the 20 non- permanent members on the enlarged council may have a chance for immediate re-election.

"Retiring members may be eligible for immediate re-election subject to the decision of their respective regional groups," said the paper, prepared by Pakistan, Italy, Algeria, Mexico and dozens of other countries opposed to the plan to add new permanent members to the council.

The group, dubbed "Uniting for Consensus", has presented the working paper to Jean Ping, president of the General Assembly, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The group proposes that the non-permanent members of the expanded council shall be elected for a term of two or three years.

According to the paper, the 10 new non-permanent seats would be divided among the five existing regional groups within the United Nations, with Africa and Asia each getting three, Latin America gaining two, and Western Europe and Eastern Europe each obtaining one.

The proposal would leave the five regional groups to decide criteria and arrangements for re-election and rotation of allocated non-permanent seats.

"Each regional group could decide whether it wishes to be represented continuously, frequently or periodically by certain states from their regions," the group said, arguing that its proposal is more flexible and realistic than the formula to increase new permanent seats.

"It can evoke the 'broadest possible agreement' and thus prevent a political division among member states on the issue of Security Council expansion," the group stressed.

In the paper, the group also expressed the hope that their proposal could be the basis for a consensus decision by the 191- nation General Assembly and the UN Charter could be amended in line with the decision.

The paper was put forward just days after the group and Japan, Germany, Brazil and India -- the four aspirants for permanent council seats -- failed to reach any agreement on the council's enlargement at a meeting under the auspices of Annan.

The four countries, known as G-4, have circulated a draft resolution calling for increasing six permanent seats and four non- permanent seats. It has suggested that the General Assembly adopt the resolution in June and elect new permanent members in mid-July.

The Security Council is currently composed of five permanent members with the veto power and 10 elected members with two-year terms.

Source: Xinhua