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The decision was taken in London at a consultative meeting between representatives of the African Union (AU) and the Groups of Four (G-4), comprising Brazil, Germany, Japan and India.

With the development, the two blocs have agreed to present a joint draft to the UN General Assembly on the proposed restructuring of the world body.

At the end of the day-long meeting held at Marlborough House in London Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Oluyemi Adeniji, leading the AU group said: "We have both come to the conclusion that unless we work together in producing one draft resolution, the reform of the United Nations will not go forward. The agreement is that we will work towards coming out with a joint draft resolution ultimately," he said, adding "We have some common understanding of the elements of the joint proposal."

During the talks, the ministers of the G-4 proposed that the UN Security Council should be expanded to 26 seats. The 26th seat, which will be a non-permanent one, would float between developing countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The AU was represented by Nigeria, Ghana, Libya, Egypt and Algeria at the forum. The five countries' officials at the talks have welcomed the proposal as a constructive one, which they will take to the heads of their respective governments and then return to the G-4.

These changes shall be incorporated into a joint AU-G-4 resolution on the understanding that continued support by AU and G-4 co-sponsors as well as supporters is ensured, with a view to adopting the resolution, if possible by the end of the month.

On the question of power of veto, the G-4 said it was an issue on which, as a result of consultations with other members, it found little support, so "our position remains the same," a source said.

The two groups met in New York on July 17, but failed to reach a compromise on Security Council expansion. Monday's meeting in London was termed as a "make or break" effort by diplomats. The G-4, which has aspired to be new permanent members on the expanded council, had hoped to merge its proposal on the council enlargement with that of the AU. The G-4 resolution calls for an increase of six permanent members, whose veto power would be frozen for 15 years, and four non-permanent members in the Security Council.

It had hoped for a General Assembly vote this month on their proposal to expand the 15-member Security Council to 25. They acknowledge their bid cannot succeed without African support. The AU proposes adding six permanent members, with the veto power, and five non-permanent members to the council. The council is currently composed of five veto-wielding permanent members and 10 rotating elected members with two-year terms.

Also, the South African Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, confirmed yesterday that Africa has agreed that the extra non-permanent seats the continent wanted on the council should be shared.

The minister was addressing a meeting of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) on her return from London, where she attended the meeting.

The new African position still needs to be endorsed by the continent's heads of state.

Dlamini-Zuma said that the AU Chairman, President Olusegun Obasanjo, might call an extra-ordinary summit of leaders as early as next week to discuss possible endorsement of the deal.

"However, if it is clear that there is sufficient support for the new position, it could be endorsed without a summit," she added.

"There is a small minority of countries who are not agreed, but the vast majority agreed," the minister said at the SADC meeting.

Two of the permanent five members, the United Kingdom (UK) and France, are co-sponsors of the G-4 resolution calling for expansion, but Russia and China remain wary of an expansion.

Last week, the United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, said America saw room for flexibility and spoke of two additional permanent council members.

Africa's 53 members at the UN, who constitute the largest voting bloc, were unable to reach an agreement in their talks with the G-4 on two competing resolution calling for expansion of the council.

Africa is insisting on a right to veto, so long as veto rights exists and wants 26 members on the council as opposed to the 24 proposed by the G-4.

Africa also wants five non-permanent seats on the council, one for each of the five regions into which the AU divides the continent.

Once a resolution is passed, it is likely that the AU will have to choose the two countries to represent the continent on a permanent basis on the council.

Nigeria is up against Egypt and South Africa in the race for the two seats.