UNITED NATIONS, May 27: Following a rebuttal of the G-4 proposal to increase permanent seats in the 15-member UN Security Council, the ‘Uniting for Consensus’ group on Friday unveiled a ‘consensus proposal’ calling for increase in the non-permanent seats of the council, “without going through the complex charter amendment process”.

The UFC proposal empowers the regional groups — African, Asian, Latin American, Caribbean and Western and Eastern European states — to chose and elect their own representatives.

In a letter sent to Unitred Nations General Assembly president Jean Ping and Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Italian ambassador Aldo Mantovani said the UFC proposal envisaged the direct approval of charter amendments.

“It would not need to go through a complex uncertain and un-chartered process of adopting a framework resolution, selecting new permanent members and then approving a charter amendment,” Mr Mantovani stressed.

He underscored that “this decision could become operational sooner and form part of larger UN reform process”. The G-4 which comprises Japan, Germany, India and Brazil, had proposed expansion of the Security Council — six permanent and four non-permanent seats.

UFC’s letter follows its critical appraisal on Thursday of a G-4 resolution, saying that it was “contrary to the UN Charter’s principle of sovereign equality” and would jeopardise the proposals to reform the world body in other areas.

The proposal would also call for restraint on the use of veto and transparency in decision-making, among other reforms.