UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan last night called a foreign ministers' meeting for Saturday of the five big powers on the Security Council to work out a compromise over an Iraq resolution.
The United States wants the 15-member Security Council to authorise a multinational force so nations will contribute more troops and money.
But France, Germany, Russia and others want a timetable for restoring Iraqi sovereignty and a larger role for the United Nations in achieving this.
"The day that Iraqis govern themselves must come quickly," Mr Annan told a news conference. "Knowing the positions of the various parties, if they sat and discussed frankly and openly, I think we will be able to find a solution."
Mr Annan indicated he would be willing to consider a UN "political facilitation process."
"If the member states, by coming together to deal with Iraq want to see that model - whether the model of Afghanistan, Kosovo or East Timor - these are all in discussion on the table, and the United Nations has had a good experience in this areas," he said.
In Kosovo and Afghanistan, the United Nations took care of civil administration while the United States and other troops were responsible for the military.
The US draft resolution calls for the United Nations to play an electoral role but only with the United States as well as the US-picked Iraqi Governing Council. The draft says the Iraqi council should draft a timetable leading to elections.
It also asks the Security Council to authorise a multinational force under US command. This is aimed at getting troops from countries including India, Pakistan and Turkey, who have refused to take part in a peacekeeping mission without a UN mandate.