Members of a deeply divided UN Security Council are bracing themselves for a crucial week in the United Nations, with both sides making a final diplomatic push to win support for their point of view.

A meeting tonight is expected to decide when the second resolution that paves the road to war will be voted.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday there was a "strong chance" that the Security Council would approve a resolution opening the way for military action against Iraq in the near future.

The United States has called for a vote on the proposed resolution as early as Tuesday in the wake of the latest reports by UN weapons inspectors on Iraqi disarmament.

Bulgaria, a non-permanent member to the Security Council, is expected to vote in favor of the resolution. Stefan Tafrov, envoy to UN, announced that on Friday.

For a resolution to be passed, it needs nine votes in favour from the 15 members of the council, five permanent and 10 non-permanent. These nine votes in favour must include the "concurring votes of the permanent members", the charter says.