The United Nations issued a report today that recommended significant changes to the Security Council among other reforms that would change the way decisions are made at the international world body. Secretary General Kofi Annan commissioned the report in 2003 after significant divisions emerged at the UN over the war in Iraq.

Perhaps the biggest proposed change is in the composition of the Security Council. Since the United Nations was founded after World War II, there have been 15 countries sitting on the security council: five permanent members and 10 nations elected to two-year terms. The five permanent members are the United States, Russia, Great Britain, France and China and they each have veto power over any action taken by the U.N. They reflected the world power situation at the end of World War II. The changes are designed to reflect the modern world more accurately.

Under the new proposal, there would be an increase in the number of countries on the Security Council to 24 members. There are two alternative plans for the new arrangement. One would add six new permanent members to the Security Council, the other would add one more two-year term member to the Security Council and create eight new 'semipermanent' seats which would be allocated under renewable four-year terms. Under either plan, veto power would still rest only with the original five members of the Security Council.

The nation's most likely to get new permanent membership if the first plan is adopted include Brazil, Germany, India, Egypt, Japan and either Nigeria or South Africa. Under the first plan, there would also be three new Security Council members serving two-year terms.

Any changes to the makeup of the Security Council would require an amendment to the U.N. Charter and would need to be approved by two-thirds of the members of the General Assembly.

General Secretary Annan is expected to make further announcements about the panal's recommendations this March.