A UN resolution on Mali could be voted here Thursday by the Security Council to approve a West African military intervention in the north of the country, while the international community is paying close attention to its development.

France will submit its renewed resolution on Mali to the Security Council on Wednesday.

The United States has previously doubted the proposal of a French draft resolution to approve an African Union (AU) military force to oust the Islamists insurgents from the northern region of the west African country.

After a few weeks' talks between the two countries, a resolution with two phases of international force authorization could be voted on Thursday.

According to the resolution, the Malian government would have to restore order in the country and hold negotiations with the insurgents. At the same time, the international force will be authorized to help Mali build its army and train a military force to be sent to battle in the north of Mali.

However, a UN diplomat said the force would not be ready for battles until late 2013.

Meanwhile, the international concerns on Mali'situation keep growing.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday expressed his concerns about the event's development in his year-end press conference.

"We must do all we can to help Malians restore their democracy, recover their territory, address the humanitarian crisis and end the shocking human rights violations," said Ban. "Dialogue and negotiations should be pursued seriously even as military options are carefully prepared."

Ban welcomed the appointment of new Prime Minister Django Sissoko, who succeeded Cheick Modibo Diarra, as an opportunity to bring a new momentum to Mali's political process.

At the same time, Cote d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara on Tuesday expressed his desire to see the United Nations adopt a resolution for a West African military intervention in the northern Mali crisis before the end of the week.

Ouattara, also the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was speaking on Tuesday in Abidjan when he met with the representative of the UN secretary general for the Sahel region, Romano Prodi.

"We hope that due to the influence and involvement of the UN secretary general, we shall get a resolution this week," Ouattara said after holding a meeting for over an hour with his guest.

"The threats are not only for northern Mali, but for the rest of the West African region," Ouattara added while reminding Prodi that the people living in northern Mali were being subjected to serious human rights violations everyday.

On his part, Prodi who is Italy's ex-prime minister, acknowledged that although the Mali crisis was serious and urgent, there was a need to prepare effectively for the military action.

He said that there's a general agreement which is shared by the rest of the international community that the Sahel region should be protected from terrorism.