Annan seeks Security Council guidelines on use of force

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan

In a report recommending sweeping changes at the United Nations, to be unveiled Monday, Annan notes that the contentious and ultimately unresolved international debate that preceded the Iraq war damaged public confidence in the world body.

The new resolution would set out principles to guide the Security Council in deciding "when and how force can be used," the Post said.

Annan is also calling for an anti-terrorism convention to define terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or noncombatants" in order to intimidate a community, government or international organisation, according to the Post.

The UN chief will ask governments to determine the structure of a proposed enlarged Security Council, while backing efforts by aspiring council members India, Brazil, German and Japan to ensure that a single member cannot block their candidacies.

Noting that the UN Commis-sion on Human Rights has been "undermined by its declining credibility and professionalism," Annan is proposing its replacement by a smaller Human Rights Council with members appointed by the General Assembly.

Annan said members "should undertake to abide by the highest human rights standards," according to the Post.

Annan has asked world leaders to gather for a September summit in New York to assess his plan, which is based largely on a study by independent experts released last year.