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The UN General Assembly has agreed to begin negotiations on expanding the membership of the powerful Security Council no later than next February 28.

After hours-long bargaining, the assembly adopted by consensus a resolution on Security Council enlargement on the last day of its 62nd session.

The text decides that the inter-governmental negotiations would begin in an informal plenary of the General Assembly during its 63rd session, "but not later than February 28, 2009, based on proposals by member states, in good faith, with mutual respect and in an open, inclusive and transparent manner."

It said the aim was to "garner the widest possible political acceptance by member states."

The 192-member Assembly is to kick off its 63rd session Tuesday with a new president, Nicaraguan Roman Catholic priest and former foreign minister Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, who is to succeed Srgjan Kerim, a former Macedonian foreign minister.

The thorny issue of how to enlarge the 15-member Security Council to make it more representative and reflective of today's global realities has for years divided the UN membership.

Last year a report by five "facilitators" stated that most UN members support council reform but could not agree on how to bring it about.

The authors gave no suggestion for a final solution, but noted that many members seemed willing to look for compromise.

The report suggested moving forward in steps, with an "interim arrangement" that includes a "mandatory review to take place at a predetermined date."

During the transitional period a number of configurations, including a repartitioning of seats on a regional basis and the most delicate, the veto-wielding power of the five permanent members, could be considered.

The Council currently has 10 rotating, non-permanent members and five, veto-wielding permanent ones (China, United States, France, Britain and Russia).

Its makeup has remained largely unchanged since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945.

In 2005, a so-called Group of Four -- Germany, Brazil, India and Japan -- made a strong push to join the council as permanent members, along with two African countries, but without veto rights.

But their bid failed to get enough support as it ran into strong opposition from regional rivals such as Italy, Pakistan and Argentina.