Britain has proposed that a meeting of the United Nations Security Council be convened during next month's high-level summit to discuss on punishing those who incite terrorism, with each nation's leader sitting around the council table, diplomats said.

Such a meeting attended by the 15-nation Security Council's leaders is extremely rare.

Normally, national ambassadors to the UN sit in the council, though foreign ministers and leaders sometimes occupy the chairs for meetings of special importance.

Philippines Deputy Ambassador Bayani Mercado, whose nation will hold the council presidency for September, said talks had begun but there was no agreement either that the meeting would occur or what leaders would discuss if it does.

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Countries are still debating if the council would adopt a resolution or approve a declaration aimed at punishing those who incite terror, a British diplomat said on Tuesday.

The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not have permission to talk about the issue.

United States mission spokesman Richard Grenell said the US believed that resolution of terrorism is important and will push for it to be adopted, though he refused to comment on the timing.

He also declined to comment on whether President George W Bush [Images] would attend a council meeting during the summit. "It's premature to speculate as to when we would pass this resolution or who would be sitting in the chair," Grenell said.