International talks on how to reform the United Nations are entering crucial stages as nations stake out their positions. Last month, the nations involved, including Japan, attended a special session to discuss a report published in December by a high-level advisory body to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. The report calls for a strengthening of the U.N.'s functions as well as an expansion of the Security Council.

Speaking at the session, Mr. Kenzo Oshima, Japan's ambassador to the U.N., emphasized that the Security Council should be "reformed in ways that reflect the realities of the 21st-century international community and strengthen the council's effectiveness and reliability." He supported the panel's plan to increase the number of both permanent and nonpermanent members, and renewed Japan's bid for permanent membership.

As things now stand, the debate on U.N. reform appears headed for a major milestone in the middle of March when Mr. Annan is due to issue his recommendations. Diplomatic maneuvering, meanwhile, is expected to accelerate in September when the U.N. holds a General Assembly session marking the 60th anniversary of its founding.