Demanding intensification of efforts by the United Nations General Assembly to expand the Security Council to reflect current realities of the world, India has slammed a "small group of countries" for trying to scuttle the process.

In his hard hitting maiden address to an informal session of the 192-member Assembly on reform of the 15-member Council, Indian ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri lambasted a "small group" of countries for trying to derail the process by insisting that expansion be limited to non-permanent category.

Though Puri did not name the small group of countries, he was apparently referring to "Uniting for Consensus" (UFC), a group of "like-minded" countries including Pakistan, South Korea and Spain among others.

India, Japan, Germany and Brazil, known as group of four, are strong contenders for permanent Council seats in the event of an expansion.

Making a strong case for moving towards reform, Puri said: "If the status quo were representative, effective, responsive or fair, we could have lived with it.

"But as is clear to all, this is not the case, and the Council is in urgent need for reform to gain credibility and reflect the modern day realities," Puri said.

"This is crucial also to ensuring its legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness," he said.

Pakistan opposes India and tries to block the expansion in the Council's permanent category which now has five members who were victors of the Second World War.

After more than a decade of discussions, the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) of the Assembly has failed to throw up any solution, with member States repeating their respective positions in each session.

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