UNITED NATIONS, May 16: A group of five small countries, known as S-5, withdrew on Wednesday its draft resolution seeking to place some limits on the use of the veto by five permanent members of the UN Security Council, saying it did not wish to create divisions among UN states.

The S-5 — Switzerland, Costa Rica, Jordan, Liechtenstein and Singapore — had come under intense pressure from the veto-wielding powers — the United States, Russia, Britain, China and France — not to press their draft to a vote as such a piecemeal approach would disrupt the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations to reform the 15-member council.

The G-4 countries (India, Brazil, Japan and Germany) saw the S-5 proposal as an opportunity to accomplish their objectives. If adopted, it would have killed the process to reform the council though negotiations and open the way for the G-4 to try and secure permanent council seats through a divisive vote, pushing aside other aspects of the reform.

The draft was introduced in the UN General Assembly last month and the move created intense controversy.

The sponsors had also come under pressure from the African countries as well as the Italy/Pakistan-led Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, which stands for reforming the Security Council by consensus instead of divisive vote.