The Spanish government Wednesday rejected a proposal to enlarge the 15-member body of the United Nations Security Council.

Japan, Germany, Brazil and India, known as the Group of Four, are negotiating with African Union (AU) members and lobbying for the enlargement of the UN Security Council from it's current 15 members, with five permanent seats, to 25 or 26 members in total, including six new permanent seats.

An increase in the number of permanent seats threatens misuse of privileges and would hamper the principle of equality among states, said Spain's Foreign Policy General Director Rafael Dezcallar.

At a seminar on the reform of the UN at Complutense University in Madrid, Dezcallar said it would be harder for an enlarged security council to reach consensus.

"We don't want a reform, rather, we prefer an extensive consensus," he said.

On the reform proposals by the AU and the Group of Four, Dezcallar said the two proposals are so divided.

If the the proposals are adopted in the UN reforms, the UN Security Council will lose the necessity and legitimacy for its existence, the official said.

Source: Xinhua