UNITED NATIONS, Sept 19: As the UN General Assembly began its 59th session, calls for the reform and expansion of the UN Security Council have gained new momentum with more nations staking claims to the permanent membership of the most powerful organ of the world body.

Although efforts to expand the UN Security Council began a decade ago, the 191 members of the UN General Assembly are still divided over the modalities and ways to do so.

Besides Japan, Germany, Brazil and India, South Africa and Egypt have also expressed their desire to represent Afri-can nations who are not represented in the 15-member Security Council's permanent slot.

In the 15-member Security Council five members - China, Russia, France, Britain and the United States - hold permanent seats wielding veto powers, 10 non-permanent members serve on the body for two-years, but they do not enjoy veto powers.

Julian Hunte of Saint Lucia, the outgoing president of the United Nations General Assembly, said on Monday that the "(General) Assembly must act on the recommendations of the report, or take its own decisions on the matter of Security Council reform, or reform will continue to evade us."

"I stand firm in my opinion that the Security Council can be reformed, but that compromises are critical," he said. While many members may be able to reach a compromise on addition of Japan and Germany, in the permanent slot but a group of delegates opposed to any expansion in the permanent slots is calling for the expansion of non-permanent seats by 25 or more.

The so-called "Coffee Club" of United Nations members in which some 45 members meet occasionally to discuss the reforms, led by Pakistan, believe that the Council should only add non-permanent members.

They contend that the SC should be made more democratic and transparent and decisions should be made on the basis of majority vote and the veto powers of permanent members should be curtailed or eliminated.

During a press conference, Mr Hunte also mentioned a plan of enlarging the SC to not less than 24, but not more than 26 members. The Security Council is charged with making critical decisions affecting the entire world, such as passing resolutions pertaining to Iraq, and to other countries more recently, such as Sudan.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is also scheduled to make a pitch for Japan to get a permanent UN Security Council seat in an address to the General Assembly on that day. Similar pleas will be made by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and German leaders.

However, the delegates here say that the expansion and reform of the Security Council remains as elusive as ever unless some major compromises are made by members.