FRANCE, hit by the horrendous Paris attacks, is to push for what is in effect a declaration of war against the Islamic State at the UN Security Council.

It is to submit a resolution calling on members to “take all necessary measures” to defeat the terrorist group.

The attacks in Paris, together with the bombing of the Russian commercial jet over the Sinai Peninsula and the alleged execution of a Chinese national have united a normally divided UN Security Council. If the Chinese execution is verified, the Islamic State has slaughtered citizens of all five permanent Security Council members.

French officials are reported to be formally submitting a draft resolution for war on Friday. It could be adopted as early as Friday or over the weekend.

The text, shared with the The Independent, calls on member states “with the capacity to do so” to “take all necessary measures, in compliance with international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, on the territory under the control of Isil [ISIS] in Syria and Iraq, to redouble and co-ordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by Isil… and to eradicate the safe haven they have established in Iraq and Syria”.

The resolution “is short, strong, and focused on one primary goal: the fight against the common enemy, Daesh [ISIS]”, said France’s ambassador to the UN, François Delattre. “We intend to work with all our Security Council partners to achieve a swift adoption of this project, around which we hope the international community will come together.”

If the French draft is passed is would mark a significant change in the stance of the UN Security Council, where agreement for military action is normally resisted, particularly by Russia or China. However, the French draft resolution does not provide any legal basis for military action and does not invoke chapter seven of the UN charter that authorises the use of force.

EU ministers are to hold talks on Friday about emergency measures to tighten border checks after the ringleader of the attacks Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was killed in Saint

Denis, entered Europe as a refugee.

Two of the Paris attackers were refugees and only 2,000 of the estimated 5,000 extremists who have travelled to Syria and Iraq to wage jihad have been logged on an EU-wide intelligence sharing database used by the UK

France was unaware Abaaoud had entered the country despite his being one of the world’s most wanted terrorists.