A high-level United Nations committee has released a report aboutreforming the world organization. The committee presented the reportto U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan Thursday.

Mister Annan appointed the sixteen-member group a year ago. Hedid so because of sharp divisions over the American-led war in Iraq,which the Security Council refused to approve. Former Thai PrimeMinister Anand Panyarachun led the group.

The committee's report containsone hundred one proposals. They call for several steps designed tomake the Security Council more effective. The report is consideredthe biggest reform effort since the U.N. was founded in nineteenforty-five.

The report identified six areas as the greatest threats toworldwide security and proposed ways to deal with them. These arecontinued poverty and environmental destruction, terrorism, civilwar, conflict between countries, the spread of nuclear weapons andorganized crime.

The group also proposed a definition of terrorism. That is aneffort the U.N. General Assembly has tried unsuccessfully to do foryears.

The most divisive issue was the proposed enlargement of theU.N.'s most powerful group, the Security Council. The committeepresented two proposals.

Both proposals would increase the size of the Council fromfifteen to twenty-four members. One proposal would add six newpermanent members -- two from Africa, two from Asia and one eachfrom Europe and the Americas. Three additional members would beelected for two-year terms.

The other proposal would create eight temporary members chosenfor four-year terms and open to re-election. They would include twoeach from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. An additionalnon-permanent seat would also be created.

Currently, the Security Council has five permanent members andten temporary members with terms of two years each. The fivepermanent members are the United States, Russia, China, Britain, andFrance. These countries can veto resolutions. Neither proposal wouldextend veto powers to any new Security Council members.

The report also proposed guidelines to establish when the use offorce is necessary. The committee decided there is no need to changethe U-N charter, which permits the use of force for self-defense toprevent an immediate threat. However, it said any good argument forpreventive military action should be put to the Security Council inthe future.

Secretary General Annan wants to use the report as a basis for aplan he will present to the General Assembly in March. But MisterAnnan's leadership is being questioned because of charges ofdishonesty in the U.N. oil for food program in Iraq.

A United States senator has called for his resignation. PresidentBush on Thursday called for a full investigation into the program.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk.This is Steve Ember.