Annan to usher in new age of the UN

The architecture of global security - unchanged since the defeat of the Axis powers at the end of World War II - is on the point of being transformed, as a decision nears on making Germany and Japan permanent members of the UN Security Council.

In a speech that could break the logjam on the domination of the Security Council by the victorious powers , UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for a decision before September on the enlargement of the 15-member Security Council.

His speech was seen as an endorsement of the efforts of Germany, Japan, Brazil and India for a vote on adding six new permanent members to the council. Yet more than three years after the attacks of September 11 2001, no agreement has yet been reached that would allow a Muslim country to gain a seat as a permanent member. World leaders are to attend the September summit in New York at which Annan hopes to obtain support for his reforms aimed at overhauling collective security two years after the Iraq war and streamlining bureaucracy.

But Annan's credibility has been undermined by a series of scandals, including sex abuse cases and the corruption of the oil-for-food humanitarian programme in Iraq, which has led to calls for his resignation.

The report to the General Assembly comes a week before the former US federal reserve board chairman, Paul Volcker, will report on the possible involvement in the oil-for-food scandal of Annan's son Kojo, who worked for a company that monitored oil-for-food contracts.

Annan made it clear he would support a vote if no consensus could be reached.

"It would be preferable for Member States to take this decision by consensus, but if they are unable this must not become an excuse for postponing action," he said.

A senior German diplomat said that in the light of Annan's comments, the group of four countries pressing for an early decision on adding both permanent and non-permanent members to the council would meet next week "to reach out to the broader membership."

The next step would be to draft a resolution to be voted on by the General Assembly.

There has long been a consensus that the 15-nation UN Security Council should be expanded to reflect modern realities. The permanent members have been unchanged since 1945 - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - while the non-permanent members are elected to two-year terms on a regional basis.

But decade-long negotiations have failed to make headway as the permanent members have refused any dilution of their veto power and potential candidates have been busy spoiling each other's chances.

However, in recent months there have been signs of renewed momentum, as Germany joined forces with Japan, Brazil and India to push for permanent seats for themselves.

A panel on reform set up by Annan then outlined two options for Security Council reform, with the first providing for a 24-member council with six new permanent members (without a veto), plus three new non-permanent ones. The second option which, according to UN diplomats, has found less favour, would create a category of eight semi-permanent seats: two each from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.

Britain backs a 24-member council with Germany, Japan, Brazil, India and an African state as permanent members. Africa has yet to reach agreement on a single candidate.

- INDEPENDENT