UNITED NATIONS, Nov 6: The United Nations General Assembly could adopt the first phase of a UN reform package next week after some progress was made at closed-door talks, UN diplomats said.

A participant at the negotiating session of about 25 key states on Wednesday, including the main hold-out Pakistan, said delegates were ``very close'' to agreement on endorsing reforms that UN Chief Kofi Annan can implement under his own authority.

Diplomats said that further talks for the ``final touches'' to a draft resolution were given today and that the 185-nation UN General Assembly would meet at the beginning of next week to adopt the draft resolution by consensus.

The measures that would be adopted in this way include Annan's proposal for a deputy secretary-general and various streamlining actions.

Diplomats said that the likeliest possibility would be for the resolution to welcome Annan's reform plans under his own authority and encourage him to implement them while bearing in mind views expressed by delegations.

Western diplomats expressed frustration with the slow pace of approving the proposals which have been discussed since October 8. Annan first presented his proposals to the General Assembly in July.

However, Pakistani ambassador Ahmad Kamal denied suggestions that he had been deliberately holding up the process by objecting to the creation of a Department of Disarmament to be set up at the UN headquarters on the grounds that existing servicing of disarmament treaties is adequate. Once the first step has been achieved, the General Assembly embarks on discussing the other parts of Annan's reform, which include recommendations to governments.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.