The UN General Assembly opened the door on Monday to expanding the Security Council by calling for full-scale negotiations on adding new members to the United Nations' most powerful body.

After hours of talks that several diplomats involved in said nearly collapsed, the assembly unanimously passed a resolution approving "inter-governmental negotiations" on expanding the council to begin by Feb 28, 2009.

Several UN diplomats described the breakthrough as "historic", saying it greatly increased the likelihood that the council will become larger and more representative of the world of the 21st century.