Germany says it will hold fast on U.N. reform course despite U.S.

Jul 13, 2005, 16:06 GMT

New York - A top German official on Wednesday signalled his country's intent to push on for expansion of the U.N. Security Council despite clear opposition expressed by the United States.

"If we do not push through this reform now, the United Nations will suffer a heavy loss of standing" in the world, said Volker Ruehe, chairman of the foreign relations committee in the German Bundestag, or parliament.

Debate has heated up this week in the U.N. General Assembly over a proposal from Germany, India, Brazil and Japan that they join an expanded Security Council as permanent members - a role now held only by the World War II victors, the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France.

A U.S. representative, Shirin Tahir-Kheli, a senior adviser on U.N. reform for U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, urged the General Assembly on Tuesday to reject the proposal from the so-called G4 because it was premature and having a divisive effect on the U.N. membership.

Washington supports overhauling the U.N.'s management and bureaucracy before making changes in the Security Council. Any changes in the U.N. structure need two-thirds approval from the 191- member assembly.

Ruehe told reporters he was optimistic that the five current veto- powers on the Security Council would not be able to hold back a two- thirds majority will of the assembly.

The debate was to continue later this week in the General Assembly. The G4 proposal is also running into opposition from a group, Uniting for Consensus, headed by Pakistan, Italy and China; and from a counter proposal yet to be offered by the Africa Union.