Japan, Germany, India and Brazil jointly submitted a resolution Wednesday at U.N. headquarters in New York to expand the U.N. Security Council, with only 23 other members listed as joint backers.

The four nations, coined the "Group of Four," submitted the resolution despite uncertainty over whether it would get the two-thirds approval, or 128 votes, needed for adoption by the U.N. General Assembly.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura will head to London to meet with his G4 counterparts Saturday to discuss their next move, and with nations from Africa to solicit their support.