20 February 2005	Sunday	10 Muharram 1426

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 19: A group of "like minded countries" on Friday called for "broadest possible consensus" to reform the UN Security Council "to make it more democratic, more effective, more equitably representative , more transparent and more accountable, in the benefit of developing and developed countries alike".

The representatives of some 14 member states, who met UN General Assembly's President Jean Ping, submitted to him a position paper called "Uniting for Consensus". They informed him like minded Countries agree that model B, proposed by a high-lLevel panel, represents the best option for reaching the broadest possible consensus among member states.

The Like minded Countries' Group, also known as the "Coffee Club", includes Pakistan, Algeria, Kenya, Turkey, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. Amabassadors from other countries, including those of Qatar, the Arab League, Angola, Ghana, Morocco, accompanied their colleagues from the Like-Minded Group to the meeting with Mr Ping.

Noting that models A and B presented by the UN panel represent proposals, but not necessarily final solutions for the reform of the Security Council, the like minded countries underscored that model B, with appropriate improvements, could help achieve understanding among member states.

"Model A" envisages eleven members who would occupy their seats permanently. The remaining 180 member states of the United Nations will only have 13 seats to compete. Most members regard it as "undemocratic and unfair".

They maintained that Model B is democratic and more flexible, providing for fairer and equitable representation and accountability and preserving the institutional balance among the principal organs.