Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan suggested today the United Nations be a political player in Iraq, advocated sanctions be phased out and that UN arms inspectors be allowed back into the country.
The United States is readying a resolution, expected next week, to lift sanctions by June 3, when the current phase of the multibillion dollar oil-for-food program expires.
It wants a UN envoy in an advisory role only and has excluded UN arms inspectors from verifying any weapons of mass destruction.
But most Security Council diplomats believe there is a slim chance of this, with some kind of a suspension or phase out of the sanctions more likely. Mr Annan told reporters the United Nations could play an important role in Iraq and could use its expertise in "political facilitation" in forming a new government as well as helping on human rights, education and reconstruction.
The European Union has said the United Nations should play a "central" post-war role in Iraq but has not defined what that is.
Mr Annan again made clear the United Nations secretariat did not want to run Iraq or be responsible for security.
"Take the question of security, I don't think the UN would want to take that on. There has been a suggestion that the UN wanted to take over Iraq and run it, which was not the case," Mr Annan said.
The United Nations, after the United States ousted the ruling Taliban from Afghanistan, organized meetings and elections that resulted in the current government. But it was not in charge of security.