UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Monday held consultations on UN chief Kofi Annan's proposals to establish an international court to try suspects in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

    The UN's Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel briefed the council on the secretary-general's recent report on the framework and architecture of the international tribunal, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the UN headquarters.

    In the report forwarded to the 15-nation council last Wednesday, Annan calls for the establishment of the tribunal "outside Lebanon," in a location which would "require the conclusion of a headquarters agreement between the United Nations, the Lebanese Republic and the state of the seat."

    The report discusses the structure of a special tribunal, which will include a pretrial judge, a trial chamber, an appeals chamber, a prosecutor, a registry and a defense office. Attached to the report is an annex detailing an agreement reached on the establishment of a tribunal between the UN and the Lebanese authorities.

    It is now up to the Security Council to consider the instruments that have been negotiated, said Dujarric.

    France's UN Ambassador, Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, said most council members had expressed support for the UN chief's proposals to set up such a court.

    Peru's ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales, the council president for this month, would later in the day circulate a document advising the court's establishment, he said, adding the document would be considered approved if no council member voices objection in 24 hours.

    If endorsed by the council, the proposals would then go back to the Lebanese government for a formal agreement in line with its constitutional procedures.

    To come into force, the plan to set up the court still needs to be approved by the Lebanese Cabinet, ratified by the president with agreement of the prime minister, and voted in favor in the parliament.

    Hariri and 22 other people were killed in a powerful bombing on the Beirut seafront on Feb. 14 last year, causing a mass anti- Syrian wave which prompted the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

    Security Council resolution 1664, adopted on March 29, asked Annan to negotiate an agreement with the government aimed at establishing an international tribunal to help Lebanon "in the search for the truth and in holding all those involved in this terrorist attack accountable."