UNITED NATIONS, May 21: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has agreed to host a meeting on Monday between G-4, the aspirants to the permanent seats in the UN Security Council, and the “Uniting for Consensus” (UFC) group which wants an increase in the non-permanent category of the council only. At a meeting on Friday with the envoys of 12 countries representing the UFC group, Mr Annan was told that a “broadest possible agreement” on all aspects of UN reform package proposed by him was essential in order to avoid serious division between the members of the world body.

The 12 countries leading the UFC group were: Italy, Algeria, Spain, Argentina, Columbia, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, Canada, Kenya and Pakistan, who were joined by an envoy from the Arab league.

Mr Annan agreed to hold a meeting after he was told that his name was being used by the G-4 — Japan, India, Germany and Brazil — to push their agenda of securing permanent seats without exhausting efforts to reach a “broad consensus” on the contentious expansion issue.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram, who described the hour-long meeting with the UN chief as a “good one”, said Mr Annan agreed that all efforts should be made to brining about an understanding between the G-4 and the UFC group on their conflicting point of view on the expansion issue.

“We told Mr Annan that since his name is being used by the G-4 in pushing the proposed expansion resolution of the UN Security Council he should step in to bring about some understanding between two sides, before any resolutions are put forward in the UNGA.” Akram said: “Our approach is to bring about understanding among all member states before going for a resolution.”