April 12, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1429

UNITED NATIONS, April 11: A new proposal by Germany and Cyprus to expand the 15-member UN Security Council, by adding seven new members, could not garner majority support in the General Assembly’s working group established to reform the most powerful organ of the world body, diplomats said on Thursday.

According to diplomatic sources, the new proposal was rejected by the Assembly’s Open-Ended Working Groups – Uniting for Consensus (UFC) group led by Italy and Pakistan, the African Group as well as the United States and Russia.

Criticising the proposal, Pakistans Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram said it only advanced “interest of few”.

He told the meeting of the working group “any unilateral initiatives and partisan approaches are likely to erode rather than advance the prospects of agreement”.