UNITED NATIONS, Oct 21: A UN advisory panel on reforming the Security Council does not recommend any country, including Japan, Germany and India, as potential contenders to the permanent seat, according to diplomatic sources who have read the initial draft. The report is to be submitted to the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in December.

Sources said there had been two proposals which were under discussion, one known as the Raza Ali formula which stipulates increase in the permanent members without veto powers. The other recommends increasing non-permanent seats and semi-permanent members without veto powers.

The Raza Ali formula is named after former Malaysian Ambassador who pushed for reforms in the composition of the UN Security Council almost a decade ago.

The panel is unlikely to make major revisions to the draft and it is unlikely that any countries would be named in a final report, the source said.

"The panel does not intend at all to propose increasing the number of permanent members or creating new members with veto power," the source said.

The report would be a disadvantage for countries like Japan, Germany, India and Brazil which decided to join hands to seek the permanent slot in the most powerful organ in the world body in September during the general debate.

Instead of expanding the permanent slot in the Security Council, the advisory panel has recommended to establish a new group made up of five to eight nations representing each continent, and the group will be positioned between permanent and non-permanent members, the sources said.

The term for the group's membership will be four to five years, and the nations in the group will not be given veto power, the source said.

The report will serve as a basis for recommendations on the reform of the Security Council to be unveiled by Mr Annan next year.

Many developing countries including Pakistan have called for increase in the non-permanent seats in the council and to curtail the veto powers in order to make it more democratic and transparent. However, the five permanent members - Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States - have balked at the suggestions of curtailing their powers.