Japan will give up efforts to seek adoption of a resolution it submitted to the UN General Assembly with three other countries as a joint bid for permanent seats on the UN Security Council, the Sankei Shimbun reported Sunday.

The Japanese government, which determined the resolution would be voted down by the General Assembly, will now have to review its strategy for seeking a permanent seat, the Japanese newspaper said in its top article.

Japan, Brazil, Germany and India -- or the Group of Four -- have submitted a resolution proposing to increase the number of Security Council permanent seats by six and nonpermanent seats by four, with a 15-year freeze on veto rights for the new permanent members.

But the prospects for the G-4's resolution to be adopted by the 191-member General Assembly with at least a two-thirds vote virtually evaporated after the 53-member African Union decided in early August not to pursue a joint proposal with the four nations.

The Japanese government agreed Saturday on a plan to give up trying to have the resolution adopted, but will keep its intention to seek a permanent seat on the Security Council as one of its main diplomatic issues, the Sankei reported.

Japan plans to consult with Germany, India and Brazil shortly to confirm that they would give up the resolution, and will look to 2020 when a conference to review the structure of the Security Council will take place to try to join the body, the paper said.

Although the G-4 and the African Union agree on adding six new permanent seats, which would include the G-4 and two African countries, they have differing views on veto rights and the number of nonpermanent members to be added.

The Africans are seeking five nonpermanent members and pushing for veto rights for the new permanent members.

There are now five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- which all hold veto powers, and 10 nonpermanent members elected on a rotational basis.

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2005)