UNITED NATIONS, July 10: A bid by Brazil, Germany, India and Japan to join an overhauled UN Security Council faced spirited opposition from regional rivals as the General Assembly readied for debate on the four countries’ proposal to enlarge the exclusive UN club.

UN diplomats said there was growing doubt that the so-called G4 would be able to muster the required two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly, meaning 128 votes out of 191, to change the make-up of the 15-member council.

At present, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are the only permanent and veto-wielding members of the powerful UN body, which also has 10 rotating non-permanent members without veto power.

“We are in a very delicate phase,” an African ambassador said while countries such as Pakistan and China urged the G4 countries to drop their plan to seek a vote on their proposal for an expanded security council, suggesting it would divide the world body.

The G4 draft provides for an expansion of the UN Security Council from the current 15 members to 25, with the creation of six new permanent seats without veto power and four non-permanent seats.

The four countries are pressing for an early vote in the General Assembly.

The draft does not indicate which countries would secure the new Council seats, but diplomats said the six new permanent seats would go to the G4 and two African countries.—AFP