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Notes by the President of the Security Council concerning its Working Methods

Most recent Note 507 and subsequently adopted notes

The Note by the President of the Security Council dated 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), known as “Note 507”, is the latest compendium of measures and practices of the Council’s working methods (previous compendiums were adopted in 2006 (S/2006/507) and 2010 (S/2010/507)). Subsequent to Note 507, the Council adopted notes in 2019 and 2021.

The interactive platform offers a search function and displays a set of curated keywords and phrases of relevant paragraphs and documents based on the index developed by the Permanent Mission of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (S/2022/88). For more information about the history of Note 507 and the work of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions (IWG), please visit here.

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Programme of work

1 While ensuring the capacity to hold Council meetings at any time and at short notice, in accordance with rules 1, 2 or 3 of its provisional rules of procedure, the members of the Security Council, during their respective presidencies, should ordinarily plan, with the support of the Secretariat, not more than four days per week of Council business, with Fridays normally being reallocated to facilitate the work of the Council’s subsidiary bodies.

2 The members of the Security Council encourage the incoming presidencies to discuss the provisional monthly programme of work with other members of the Council well in advance of their respective presidencies.

3 In order to increase the transparency of its work, the Security Council reaffirms its commitment to increase recourse to open meetings, particularly at the early stage inits consideration of a matter.

4 The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Security Council to hold an informal briefing on the programme of work open to all Member States, after its adoption by the Council.

5 The members of the Security Council agree that the President of the Security Council should update the provisional monthly programme of work (calendar) and make it available to the public through the Council website each time it is revised and distributed to Council members, with appropriate indication of the revised items.

[S/2019/992] Following consultations among the members of the Security Council and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Council’s work, it has been agreed that all activities not currently listed in the Council’s monthly provisional programme of work are to be listed in an unofficial addendum document prepared by, and at the discretion of, the President of the Security Council.

 

6The members of the Security Council invite the Secretariat to notify Member States of unscheduled or emergency meetings not only by email but also through the Council website and by telephone as necessary.

7 The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Security Council to hold an informal briefing session with the wider membership on the work of the Council at the end of its presidency, as appropriate. A formal wrap-up session may also continue to be organized by the President of the Council when appropriate and with the consent of all members of the Security Council.

[S/2019/994] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, as well as interaction and dialogue with non-Council members, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The members of the Security Council recall their encouragement of the President of the Security Council to hold an informal briefing session with the wider membership on the work of the Council at the end of its presidency, as appropriate, including through the organization of a wrap-up session. A formal wrap-up session may also continue to be organized by the President, when appropriate and with the consent of all members of the Council; (b) To this end, the President of the Security Council is encouraged to utilize the “Toledo-style” format during such informal briefing sessions, whereby members of the Council present the activity of the Council for the month jointly and in an interactive manner; (c) To this end, the President of the Security Council is encouraged to forgo detailed summaries of the Council’s activities during the month in favour of a more analytical discussion with non-Council members and utilize more time to hear their feedback; (d) The President of the Security Council may invite the lead or co-leads of a Council visiting mission that was held during that month to actively contribute to the wrap-up session; (e) The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Security Council to announce the date of the wrap-up session with sufficient time to allow for adequate preparation by all participants and request the inclusion of the wrap-up session in the Council’s monthly programme of work and the Journal of the United Nations.

Monthly forecast

8The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to publish a streamlined tentative monthly forecast of the programme of work on the Council website as soon as it has been distributed to Council members.

9 The forecast should be made available in all official languages “for information only/not an official document”, and there should be a cover note which reads:

This tentative forecast of the programme of work of the Security Council has been prepared by the Secretariat for the President of the Council. The forecast covers in particular those matters that may be taken up during the month pursuant to earlier decisions of the Council. The fact that a matter is or is not included in the forecast carries no implication that it will or will not be taken up during the month: the actual programme of work will be determined by developments and the views of members of the Council.

10 The members of the Security Council have agreed that the following reminder should be placed in the Journal of the United Nations each month:

The monthly tentative forecast has been made available at the website of the Security Council, in accordance with the note by the President of the Security Council dated 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507). Copies of the tentative forecast have also been placed in the delegations’ boxes and may be collected at the delegations’ pick-up areas as of [date].

A. Agenda

11 The provisional agenda for formal meetings of the Council should be included in the Journal of the United Nations provided that it has been approved in informal consultations.

12 The members of the Council recall the desirability, whenever possible, of using descriptive formulations of agenda items at the time of their initial adoption to avoid having a number of separate agenda items on the same subject. When such a descriptive formulation exists, consideration may be given to subsuming earlier agenda items on the same subject under the descriptive formulation.

B. Matters of which the Council is seized

13 Rule 11 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council provides that the Secretary-General shall communicate each week to the representatives on the Security Council a summary statement of matters of which the Security Council is seized and of the stage reached in their consideration.

14 The practice of including an agenda item in the summary statement once it has been adopted at a formal meeting of the SecurityCouncil will remain unchanged.

15 At the beginning of each year, the Security Council will review the summary statement in order to determine if the Council has concluded its consideration of any of the listed items, in particular those items that were considered for the first time during the preceding year, and whether, consequently, such items should be deleted from the statement. Further, except as herein provided, any item which has not been considered by the Security Council at a formal meeting during the preceding three calendar years will also be deleted.

16 The preliminary annual summary statement issued in January of each year by the Secretary-General of matters of which the Council is seized will identify the items to be deleted from the list. The first summary statement issued in March of each year will reflect the deletion of those items, unless a State Member of the United Nations notifies the President of the Security Council by the end of February of that year that it requests an item to remain on the summary statement, in which case such item will remain on the statement for one year, unless the Security Council decides otherwise.

17 The deletion of an item does not imply that such an item cannot be taken up by the Security Council as and when it deems necessary in the future.

18 The summary statement will be presented in the format of two sections, as follows: one section comprising items which have been considered by the Security Council at a formal meeting during the preceding three-year period, and another section comprising items which have not been considered at a formal meeting during the preceding three-year period but which the Security Council has decided to retain at the request of a Member State.

19 The Security Council reconfirms that the first summary statement of each month will contain a full, updated list of items of which the Security Council is seized. For intervening weeks, a weekly addendum to the summary statement will be issued listing only those items on which further action has been taken by the Council during the previous week or indicating that there has been no change during that period.

20 The Security Council reconfirms that references given for each item listed in the summary statement will be the dates when the item was first taken up by the Council at a formal meeting and the most recent formal meeting of the Council held on that item.

C. Format of meetings

21 In an effort further to advance the resolution of a matter under consideration, the members of the Security Council agree to use a range of meeting options from which they can select the one best suited to facilitate specific discussions. Recognizing that the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council and their own practice provide them with considerable flexibility in choosing how best to structure their meetings, members of the Council agree that meetings of the Council could be structured according to, but not limited to, the following formats:

1. Public meetings
  1. (a) Functions: 
    1. To take action and/or hold, inter alia, briefings and debates.
  2. (b) Presence and participation
    1. The presence and participation of non-Council members in public meetings should be in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure. The Council’s practice, as described below, is understood as being in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure, although it should not under any circumstances be understood as replacing or substituting for the provisional rules of procedure.

I Any Member of the United Nations that is not a member of the Security Council may be present at its delegation’s designated seats in the Council Chamber;

II On a case-by-case basis, any Member of the United Nations that is not amember of the Security Council, members of the Secretariat and other persons may be invited to participate in the discussion, including for the purpose of giving briefings to the Council, in accordance with rule 37 or 39 of the provisional rules of procedure.

(c) Descriptions in the provisional monthly programme of work

The members of the Security Council intend to continue to include the following formats for public meetings in the provisional monthly programme of work (calendar) when they plan to adopt, in general, the corresponding procedures:

I. “Open debate”: briefings may or may not be conducted, and Council members may deliver statements; non-Council members may also be invited to participate in the discussion upon their request;

II. “Debate”: briefings may be conducted, and Council members may deliver statements; non-Council members that are directly concerned or affected or have a special interest in the matter under consideration may be invited to participate in the discussion upon their request;

III.  “Briefing”: briefings are conducted, and Council members may deliver statements following briefings;

IV. “Adoption”: Council members may or may not deliver statements before and/or after adopting, inter alia, resolutions and presidential statements; non-Council members may or may not be invited to participate in the discussion upon their request.

2. Private meetings

a. Functions 

To conduct discussion and/or take actions, for example, recommendation regarding the appointment of the Secretary-General, without the attendance of the public or the press.

b. Presence and participation

The presence and participation of non-Council members in private meetings should be in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure. The Council’s practice, as described below, is understood as being in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure, although it should not under any circumstances be understood as replacing or substituting for the provisional rules of procedure:

On a case-by-case basis, any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council, members of the Secretariat and other persons may be invited to be present or to participate in the discussion, including for the purpose of giving briefings to the Council, in accordance with rule 37 or 39 of the provisional rules of procedure.

C. Descriptions in the provisional monthly programme of work

The members of the Security Council intend to continue to include the following formats for private meetings in the provisionalmonthly programme of work (calendar) when they plan to adopt, in general, the corresponding procedures:

I. “Private meeting”: briefings or debates may be conducted, and Council members may deliver statements; any Member of the United Nations which is nota member of the Security Council, members of the Secretariat and other persons may be invited to be present or to participate in the discussion, upon their request, in accordance with rule 37 or 39 of the provisional rules of procedure;

II. “TCC meeting”: briefings may be conducted, and Council members may deliver statements; parties described in resolution 1353 (2001) are invited to participate in the discussion, in accordance with the resolution.

D. Delivery of statements

22 The Security Council recalls its commitment to making more effective use, as appropriate, of open meetings, and to this end encourages, as a general rule, all participants, both members and non-members of the Council, in Council meetings to deliver their statements in five minutes or less.

23 The Security Council encourages participants in Council meetings to express agreement without repeating the same content, if they agree, in part or in whole, with the content of a previous statement.

1. Speaking order of Council members

24 The speaking order for meetings of the Security Council as a general practice is established by a draw. In certain cases, the speaking order is established by the use of a sign-up sheet.

25 The President of the Security Council as a general practice makes his or her national statement last of all Council members. In certain cases, he or she may make a single statement comprising introductory remarks and his or her national statement before the other members take the floor. The President is encouraged to inform the other members in advance of his or her wish to do so in order to ensure that there are no objections.

26 In certain cases, the President of the Security Council may adjust the list of speakers and inscribe first the delegation(s) responsible for the drafting process in order to allow it or them to make an introductory or explanatory presentation. In cases when an unscheduled or emergency meeting is convened, the President may also adjust the list so that the delegation having requested the meeting can speak before the other Council members in order to present the reasons for convening the meeting.

27 The President of the Security Council may inscribe first the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies of the Council when presenting to the Council their work or reporting on outstanding issues within their mandate.

28 The members of the Security Council can trade slots in the list of speakers. It is recommended that delegations involved inform the Secretariat as to what was agreed. The members of the Security Council are encouraged to inform the Secretariat of such changes as soon as possible, especially if the meeting has already started, in order to allow the interpreters to be ready to interpret from the language which will be used.

29 When high-level officials are representing Security Council members at a meeting, the list of speakers will be entitled “The list of speakers, after the draw and adjusted for protocol”. For each category of high-level officials, the speakers will be listed within that category according to the order of the draw. The speakers within each category will speak after those in a category of higher-level officials and before those in a category of lower-level officials. If, after the list of speakers has been circulated, there is a change in the level of a delegation’s representative, that representative’s speaking order will be readjusted according to protocol and his or her place within categories of same-level officials will be determined according to the order of the original draw.

 
30 The permanent representative of a Security Council member who also holds a post at the Cabinet or ministerial level within his or her Government will speak by order of the draw, without adjustment for protocol.

31 For meetings announced as high-level in advance, where higher-level officials are representing other Security Council members, a permanent representative serving at the Cabinet or ministerial level may request an adjustment by protocol of his or her place on the list of speakers. The delegation concerned is encouraged to inform the Secretariat and the other Council members in advance of its request to have that representative’s speaking order adjusted by protocol. After being informed of such a request, the Secretariat will add, beside the name of the representative on the list of speakers, that he or she is speaking as a member of his or her Cabinet. When a permanent representative at the Cabinet or ministerial level has spoken in that capacity at a formal meeting, it will be noted in appendix II to the annual report of the Council.

32 For meetings not announced as high-level in advance, visiting higher-level officials may be accorded a speaking slot before permanent representatives as a matter of courtesy where there is no objection by members of the Security Council.

2. Statements by non-Council members

33 The Security Council agrees that, when non-members are invited to speak to the Security Council, those who have a direct interest in the outcome of the matter under consideration may speak prior to Council members, if appropriate.

34 When non-members of the Security Council are invited to speak at its meetings, they will be seated at the Council table on alternate sides of the President, the first speaker being seated on the President’s right.

3. Distribution of statements and meeting records

35 Texts of statements made at the meetings of the Security Council will, at the request of the delegation making the statement, be distributed by the Secretariat inside the Council Chamber to Council members and other Member States and permanent observers to the United Nations present at the meeting. A delegation requesting the distribution of its statement is encouraged to provide a sufficient number of copies (200) to the Secretariat in advance of the statement. When a delegation does not provide to the Secretariat a sufficient number of copies of its statement, those copies will be placed outside the Council Chamber at the end of the meeting. Delegations are requested not to make statements otherwise available during the meeting.

36 The members of the Security Council recognize that the texts of the statements made at the meetings of the Council can be a useful additional tool for the preparation of the verbatim records of the Council and therefore encourage members and non-members of the Council to provide those texts to the Secretariat when delegations are not able, or choose not, to provide the number of copies referred to in paragraph 35 above.

37 The members of the Security Council encourage members and non-members of the Council to contact the Verbatim Reporting Service of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (verbatimrecords@un.org) in cases where, with a view to ensuring the accuracy of the official records of the Council, corrections or adjustments in the verbatim records reflecting their own statements are needed either in the official language used by each delegation or in any other of the official languages of the United Nations.

E. Conduct of open debates

38 It is the understanding of the members of the Security Council that open debates can benefit from the contributions of both Council members and the wider membership.

39 With this in mind, the date of the open debate should be announced with sufficient time to allow for adequate preparation by all participants.

40 The members of the Security Council acknowledge the usefulness of concept notes to help focus discussion during an open debate, and encourage the early elaboration of such notes.
 
41 All participants speaking in an open debate, including members of the Security Council, are encouraged to be succinct and focused in their interventions, which, whenever possible, should not exceed five minutes, or any other time suggested by the President at the start of the debate. If necessary, the text of a more detailed statement may be circulated to Council members and participants.

42 The members of the Security Council may agree, by consensus on a case-by-case basis and when they consider it appropriate for certain open debates, to invite non-members to alternate their interventions with those of Council members. In such situations, those Council members who wish to do so will give up their slot on the speakers’ list to non-members.

43 The Security Council expresses its commitment to continue to take steps to improve the focus and interactivity of its open debates. In this regard, the Security Council welcomes joint statements by both Security Council members and other Member States.

44 Where appropriate for certain open debates, the adoption of an outcome might occur at a date subsequent to that of the open debate in order to allow it to more fully reflect, if the Security Council considers it appropriate, matters raised during the debate.

 

S/2023/612
The members of the Security Council reaffirm the importance of ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the Council in conducting its business. In this regard and to ensure the orderly conduct of minutes of silence, the members of the Security Council have agreed to the following procedure:
(a) The members of the Security Council agree that requests for the observance of a minute of silence by the members of the Security Council by any representative of a Council member or other representative of a non-Council member shall be communicated to the President no later than 60 minutes before the start of the meeting, unless in cases of emergency;
(b) The members of the Security Council agree that the President shall inform the members of the Security Council and duly consult with them on the request, and shall inform Council members or any representative of a non-Council member of his or her ruling;
(c) In accordance with rule 19 of the provisional rules of procedure, the members of the Security Council agree that the observance of minutes of silence by the members of the Security Council shall only be initiated by the President;
(d) Without prejudice to rule 9 of the provisional rules of procedure, the members of the Security Council agree that the observance of minutes of silence shall be held after the opening of the meeting and before the adoption of the agenda of the meeting of the Security Council.

45 The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council, with the assistance of the Secretariat, to actively promote additional appropriate measures to increase interactivity and a more efficient use of time during informal consultations of the whole.

46 The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to suggest, through consultations with interested members and/or the Secretariat, as appropriate, a few areas for Council members and the Secretariat to focus on at the Council’s next informal consultations, without the intention of prescribing the scope of discussion, at least one day before the consultations are to be held.

47 The members of the Security Council plan to minimize, to the extent possible, the reading out of lengthy pre-prepared statements in informal consultations of the whole. The members of the Security Council intend, where they agree with a previous speaker, in part or in whole, to express that agreement without repeating the same content.

48 The members of the Security Council agree that, as a general rule, the President of the Council should adhere to the prescribed speakers’ list. The members of the Security Council encourage the President to facilitate interaction by inviting any participant in the consultations to speak at any time, irrespective of the order of the prescribed speakers’ list, when the discussion requires it.

 

49 The members of the Security Council encourage speakers to direct their questions not only to the Secretariat, but also to other members.

 

50 The members of the Security Council do not discourage each other from taking the floor more than once, in the interest of making consultations more interactive.

 

51 The members of the Security Council agree that when briefings are being provided to the Council members by senior Secretariat officials, the number of staff members accompanying those officials in the consultations should be kept to a strict minimum. Unless otherwise decided, the Secretariat staff from offices other than those of the designated briefer or from United Nations agencies will normally not be invited to attend consultations. Unless otherwise decided, the Security Council Affairs Division of the Department of Political Affairs will be responsible for keeping the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General informed of matters which may require its action.

 

52 The members of the Security Council encourage the use of practical measures such as those mentioned in the present note, which would make it feasible, whenever possible, to hold informal consultations on two issues at a three-hour Council meeting, notably with regard to situations routinely on its agenda, thereby promoting planning accuracy and overall efficiency in the Council’s work.

 

53 The members of the Security Council and the Secretariat should continue to use the “Other matters” agenda item during informal consultations to raise issues of concern. The members of the Security Council encourage each other to signal intention to raise an issue under “Other matters”, along with the intended aim, to the President of the Security Council and all Council members, at least one day before the consultations, whenever possible.

 

54 In order to make consultations result-oriented as well as to increase the transparency of the work of the Security Council while securing confidentiality, the members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to make efforts, whenever appropriate, to suggest, at the end of consultations, general lines or elements to be used when providing briefings to the press.

 

55 The members of the Security Council agree that the President of the Council or his or her designate should provide substantive and detailed briefings to Member States in a timely manner. Such briefings should take place shortly after informal consultations of the whole. The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to provide the attending Member States with copies of statements that he or she makes to the media following the informal consultations, if appropriate.

 

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56 The members of the Security Council encourage briefers to be succinct and to focus on key issues rather than reading out lengthy pre-prepared statements. At public meetings and private meetings, they encourage each briefer to limit initial remarks to 15 minutes, unless otherwise decided by the Council. In informal consultations, they encourage each briefer who is not a member of the Council to limit initial remarks to 10 minutes or, when informal consultations are preceded by open briefings, to 5 minutes, unless otherwise decided by the Council.

 

57 As a general rule, the purpose of initial remarks or ad hoc briefings delivered by members of the Secretariat is to supplement and update written reports of the Secretary-General or to provide members of the Security Council with more specific on-the-ground information on the most recent developments, which may not be covered in the written report. The members of the Security Council encourage members of the Secretariat to provide the latest information, as necessary, without repeating the content of written reports already available to members of the Council.

 

58 The members of the Security Council invite the Secretariat to continue its practice of circulating the briefing texts at briefings and, in particular, where their statements contain extensive or complicated factual information, encourage briefers to circulate written summaries of that information, whenever possible in advance, to allow for a more focused discussion during informal consultations. The members of the Security Council invite the Secretariat, as a general rule, to provide a printed fact sheet, presentation materials and/or any other relevant reference materials, whenever possible, to Council members on the day prior to the informal consultations, when briefings in the Security Council consultations room are not given on the basis of a written report.

 

59 The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretariat to make the briefings in informal consultations as efficient and user-friendly as possible, including by using visual aids on the screen, as appropriate. The members of the Security Council also encourage briefers to be succinct and direct in their response to questions and/or comments by Council members. In cases where information or clarification requested by Council members is not readily available during the briefings in informal consultations, briefers may provide it at a later time.

 

60 The members of the Security Council intend to resort more often to the use of video teleconferencing for briefing the Council, where appropriate, while preserving a balanced approach between video teleconferencing and briefings in person, including during open meetings in the open chamber.

 

61 The members of the Security Council intend to continue to consider requesting the Secretariat to give an ad hoc briefing at Security Council meetings in cases in which an emergent situation which justifies a briefing arises. The members of the Security Council also intend to request the Secretariat to give ad hoc briefings at informal consultations on a daily basis, if necessary, when a situation justifies such briefings.

 

62 The members of the Security Council agree to consider setting a six-month interval as the standard reporting period, unless the situation provides reason for shorter or longer intervals. The members of the Security Council also agree to define reporting intervals as clearly as possible when adopting resolutions. The members of the Security Council further agree to request oral reporting, which does not require submission of a written report, if the members of the Council consider that it would serve the purpose satisfactorily, and to indicate that request as clearly as possible.

 

63 The Security Council agrees to cooperate with other organs of the United Nations in synchronizing reporting obligations of the Secretariat on the same subject, if appropriate, while giving priority to the effective work of the Council.

 

64 The members of the Security Council agree that reports of the Secretary- General should be circulated to Council members and made available in all official languages of the United Nations at least four working days before the Council is scheduled to consider them. The members of the Security Council also agree that the same rule should apply to making such reports available to relevant participants in Council meetings at which those reports are discussed, including the distribution of the reports on peacekeeping missions to all participants in meetings of troop- and police-contributing countries.

S/2019/995

[S/2019/995] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: In reference to paragraph 64 of the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), whereby the members of the Security Council agreed that reports of the Secretary-General should be circulated to Council members and made available in all official languages of the United Nations at least four working days before the Council is scheduled to consider them, and that the same rule should apply to making such reports available to relevant participants in Council meetings at which those reports are discussed, including the distribution of the reports on peacekeeping missions to all participants in meetings of troop- and police-contributing countries, the members of the Council have agreed that the paragraph will be amended to read as follows: The members of the Security Council agree that reports of the Secretary-General should be circulated to Council members and made available in all official languages of the United Nations at least four working days before the Council is scheduled to consider them. The members of the Security Council also agree that the same rule will apply to making such reports available to relevant participants in Council meetings at which those reports are discussed, including the distribution of the reports on peacekeeping missions to all participants in meetings of troop- and police-contributing countries.

 

 

65 The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretary-General to make reports as concise as possible and give an ample cut-off time in order for the reports to be issued in a timely manner.

 

66 The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretary-General to include a section in his or her reports where all recommendations are listed, when presenting recommendations to the Council regarding the mandate of a United Nations mission. They also encourage the Secretary-General to include, where appropriate and possible, fact sheets, maps, statistics and charts in his or her reports in order to make the reports as user-friendly as possible.

 

67 The members of the Security Council intend to request the Secretary-General to include policy recommendations on long-term strategy in his or her reports, if appropriate.

 

68 Reports of the Secretary-General will specify the date on which the document is physically and electronically distributed in addition to the date of signature by the Secretary-General.

 

69 The members of the Security Council request the Secretariat to update the Council towards the end of each month on the progress in the preparation of the reports of the Secretary-General to be issued the following month. The members of the Security Council also request the Secretariat to communicate with the Council immediately if it expects reports to be delayed beyond their deadlines or if reports that have not been requested by the Council are expected to be issued.

 

70 The members of the Security Council invite the Secretariat to continue its practice of circulating all press statements issued by the Secretary-General or by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson in connection with matters of concern to the Security Council.

 

71 The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretariat to ensure that all information provided to Council members is transmitted electronically, including by fax.

72 The members of the Security Council intend to make the best use of all mechanisms available, as appropriate, to convey policy guidance to the Secretary- General, including dialogue, letters from the President, adoption of resolutions or presidential statements, or any other means deemed appropriate. The members of the Security Council express general support for continuing the practice of holding monthly “luncheons with the Secretary-General” in an informal setting to allow interactive action-oriented exchanges.

 

73 The members of the Security Council, through the Secretary-General, invite new Special Representatives of the Secretary-General to engage in dialogue with members of the Council before assuming their duties under new mandates, including in the field, in order to obtain Council members’ views on the objectives and the mandates.

74 The members of the Security Council reaffirm that the work of the Council is a collective endeavour and responsibility, and that enhanced cooperation and consultation among all Council members is vital for the efficient and transparent functioning of the Council.

 

75 The members of the Security Council also reaffirm the importance of continuing to improve intra-Council dialogue, communication and exchange of information, especially in crisis or fast-evolving situations.

 

76 The members of the Security Council therefore agree to continue to enhance dialogue among all Council members, in particular in crisis or fast-evolving situations, so that the Council may respond more efficiently and therefore better fulfil its responsibility of maintaining international peace and security.

 

77 The members of the Security Council, in this context, recognize the important role of the President of the Security Council, including in facilitating communication and exchange of information.

 

S/2021/646

The members of the Security Council recognize that working methods have a direct impact on the Security Council’s effective, efficient and transparent functioning and that the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions is the framework within which these working methods may be reinforced. To this end, the members of the Security Council attach great importance to the implementation of the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and all subsequently adopted notes by the President, including the eight notes adopted in December 2019 (S/2019/990, S/2019/991, S/2019/992, S/2019/993, S/2019/994, S/2019/995, S/2019/996 and S/2019/997). In this regard, and without prejudice to the role of the experts, the members of the Security Council recognize that those who coordinate the monthly activities of the respective missions on the Council are critical to securing the implementation of the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and all subsequently adopted notes.

 

S/2021/647

Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), as well as the additional eight notes adopted in December 2019 (S/2019/990, S/2019/991, S/2019/992, S/2019/993, S/2019/994, S/2019/995, S/2019/996 and S/2019/997), and in an effort to encourage and secure the implementation of what is contained therein, the members of the Security Council recognize that: (a) The members of the Security Council are encouraged to implement all provisions contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and the above-mentioned eight notes by the President. To this end, the members of the Security Council recognize the important role played by the President of the Security Council in facilitating and securing implementation; (b) The practice of circulating written monthly commitments at the beginning of the presidency, recalling critical provisions of the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and subsequent notes, could be useful to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of the Council, and each presidency is invited to consider preparing and broadly distributing written monthly commitments at its discretion.

 

78 Without prejudice to the rights accorded by the Charter of the United Nations and the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council, the members of the Security Council support, where appropriate, the informal arrangement whereby one or more Council members (as “penholder(s)”) initiate and chair the informal drafting process. This informal arrangement, where appropriate, aims to facilitate timely initiatives to ensure Council action while preserving an element of continuity, with a view to enhancing the efficiency of the Council’s work.

 

79 Any member of the Security Council may be a penholder. Members of the Council are encouraged to act as the penholder(s) in the drafting of documents, including resolutions, presidential statements and press statements of the Council. More than one Council member may act as co-penholders, when it is deemed to add value, taking into account as appropriate the expertise and/or contributions of Council members on the subjects.

 

80 The members of the Security Council reaffirm that all members of the Security Council should be allowed to participate fully in the preparation of, inter alia, the resolutions, presidential statements and press statements of the Council. The members of the Security Council also reaffirm that the drafting of all documents such as resolutions and presidential statements as well as press statements should be carried out in an inclusive manner that will allow participation of all members of the Council.

 

81 To that end, the members of the Security Council encourage the penholder or co-penholders, as early as possible in the drafting exercise, to ensure the exchange of information among all Security Council members and to engage in timely consultations with all Council members with openness and flexibility. For each draft resolution which is not a technical rollover or for each presidential statement, the members of the Security Council encourage the penholder or co-penholders to present and discuss the draft with all members of the Security Council in at least one round of informal consultations or informal-informals.

 

82 The members of the Security Council also encourage the penholder or co-penholders, depending on the subject as well as the urgency of the situation on the ground, to provide a reasonably sufficient time for consideration by all Council members when draft resolutions, presidential statements and press statements of the Council are placed under a silence procedure, recognizing that any Council member may request extension of and/or break silence if further consideration is required.

 

83 The members of the Security Council intend to continue to informally consult in an early manner with the broader United Nations membership, in particular interested Member States, including countries directly involved or specifically affected, neighbouring States and countries with particular contributions to make, as well as with regional organizations and Groups of Friends, when drafting, inter alia, resolutions, presidential statements and press statements, as appropriate.

 

84 The members of the Security Council agree to consider making draft resolutions and presidential statements as well as other draft documents available as appropriate to non-members of the Council as soon as such documents are introduced within informal consultations of the whole, or earlier, if so authorized by the authors of the draft document.

 

85 The members of the Security Council agree that documents, including resolutions, presidential statements and press statements of the Council, should be focused, succinct and action-oriented, in principle. In this connection, each member of the Council, including and in particular the penholder or co-penholders, whenever possible, should make every effort in this direction.

 

86 Where appropriate, the members of the Council should ordinarily seek to avoid the need for draft resolutions or other documents to be translated over the weekend.

 

87 The President of the Security Council should, when so requested by the Council members, and without prejudice to his or her responsibilities as President, draw the attention of the representative(s) of the Member State(s), regional organizations and arrangements concerned to relevant statements to the press made by the President on behalf of Council members or decisions of the Council. The Secretariat should also continue to bring to the knowledge of those concerned, including non-State actors, through the relevant Special Representatives, Representatives and Envoys of the Secretary-General and United Nations Resident Coordinators, resolutions and presidential statements of the Security Council as well as statements to the press made by the President of the Council on behalf of the Council members, and ensure their promptest communication and widest possible dissemination. The Secretariat should further issue, as United Nations press releases, all written statements to the press made by the President of the Security Council on behalf of Council members, upon clearance by the President.

 

88 The members of the Security Council intend to intensify their efforts to publicize decisions and other relevant information of the Council to the Member States and other organizations through correspondence, websites, outreach activities and other means, when appropriate. The members of the Security Council intend to continue to examine ways to enhance its activities in this regard.

 

S/2023/945

Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), and in an effort to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of the work of the Security Council, the members of the Council have agreed on the following:

(a) The members of the Security Council affirm that the work of the Council is a collective endeavour and responsibility, and support, where appropriate, the informal arrangement whereby one or more Council members (as “penholder” or “co-penholder”) initiate and facilitate the informal drafting process, as well as timely initiatives, of the Council, among other and related tasks;

(b) The members of the Security Council affirm their willingness, and encourage continued efforts, to ensure that the arrangement of penholder or co-penholder reflects openness, a shared responsibility and fair burden-sharing and further agree to the following:

i. Any member of the Security Council should have the opportunity to be a penholder or co-penholder;

ii. Any member of the Security Council may add value as a penholder or co-penholder. Such a member or members may include, but shall not be limited to, those with expertise in and contributions to the subjects, regional perspectives on the subjects, chairing of relevant subsidiary bodies and specific interests. In this regard, the members of the Council agree to make enhanced use of such particular expertise and interests with regard to which Council member or members would serve as penholder or co-penholder on country specific and/or thematic files;

(c) Recalling paragraphs 78 to 88 of the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), and without prejudice to the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the provisional rules of procedure, the members of the Security Council encourage penholders and co-penholders to conduct negotiations in an inclusive and respectful manner by:

i. Abiding by objectivity and impartiality during the drafting and negotiation process and prioritizing forging consensus, whenever possible, and promoting the unity of the Council;

ii. Ensuring, as early as possible in the drafting exercise, an exchange of information among all Council members and engaging in timely consultations with all Council members;

iii. Informally consulting in an early manner with the broader United Nations membership, in particular the Member States concerned, and, as appropriate, taking into full consideration their views and concerns, including when considering mandate renewals or modifications;

iv. Sharing draft documents as early as possible to provide reasonably sufficient time for consideration by all Council members, bearing in mind that the Council needs to act swiftly if the situation so requires;

v. Informally consulting the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies concerned before circulating an early draft of a document involving the same country or region, in particular in the case of renewal of sanctions measures or bodies;

vi. Building consensus, whenever possible, through sufficient informal consultations or informal informals on draft documents among Council members, and making every effort to address divergences among Council members, in a flexible and timely manner;

vii. Striving to make Council documents, including resolutions, presidential statements and press statements, focused, succinct and action-oriented;

viii. Striving to ensure, whenever possible, that the silence procedure for draft resolutions is of at least 24 hours to allow sufficient time for Council members to consult their capitals;

ix. Striving to ensure, whenever possible, that, after draft resolutions are put in blue, at least 24 hours should be allowed for consideration by Council members before drafts are put to a vote;

(d) The members of the Security Council also encourage those members that are not penholders or co-penholders to strive to provide timely feedback, including written comments, during the negotiation of draft documents and to conduct negotiations in a constructive and respectful manner;

(e) The members of the Security Council encourage all members, and in particular penholders and co-penholders, to monitor the implementation of Council decisions by:

i. Regularly consulting the Secretariat, the broader United Nations membership, in particular the Member States concerned and troop- and police contributing countries, as appropriate;

ii. Proposing and organizing additional activities of the Council in monitoring and promoting implementation, as necessary.

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89 The members of the Security Council recall that consultations between the Security Council, the Secretariat and troop- and police-contributing countries should enhance the ability of the Council to make appropriate, effective and timely decisions in fulfilling its responsibilities.

 

90 The members of the Security Council reaffirm their commitment to making full use of and improving existing consultation with troop- and police-contributing countries with a view to ensuring the full consideration of the views and concerns of troop- and police-contributing countries by the Council.

 

91 The members of the Security Council agree that the following measures, which are complementary to those contained in its resolutions 1353 (2001) and 2086 (2013) as well as the statement by the President of the Security Council of 31 December 2015 (S/PRST/2015/26), contribute to the aim of enhancing interaction and consultation with troop- and police-contributing countries:

  1. Prior to the constitution of a peacekeeping operation, the Secretariat is encouraged to make the broadest possible call for contributions to that operation. Once potential contributors have been identified, the Secretariat will provide them with all necessary information in order to facilitate their decision-making regarding participation in the operation.
  2. The members of the Security Council underscore the importance of consultations with relevant troop- and police-contributing countries, including at their request, on urgent situations that affect their operations, particularly regarding the safety and security of their personnel on the ground.
  3. The members of the Security Council also underscore the importance of consultation with troop- and police-contributing countries in cases of transition from a peacekeeping to a peacebuilding operation, and on major changes in an operation, such as withdrawal, scaling down of the size or termination, as well as in cases of operational challenges or developments requiring mandate adjustments.
  4. The members of the Security Council emphasize the importance of consulting with troop- and police-contributing countries, including holding meetings, preferably, one week before the Security Council considers mandate renewals or modifications. The Secretariat will, pursuant to paragraph 64 above, provide the relevant troop- and police-contributing countries with a copy of the report of the Secretary-General with, as far as practicable, enough anticipation in order to allow the preparation for and the timely holding of meetings with troop- and police-contributing countries before discussion among Council members.
  5. In order to further encourage substantive discussions with troop- and police-contributing countries, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1353 (2001), the members of the Security Council encourage the attendance of appropriate military and political officers from each participating mission at meetings with troop-contributing countries.
  6. The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to provide sufficient time for the meetings with troop- and police- contributing countries.
  7. The President of the Security Council will report to the Council on consultations with troop- and police-contributing countries with a summary of the meetings.
  8. The Security Council encourages its members to continue to hold and further develop informal meetings in order to encourage more interactive and focused consultations between Council members, the Secretariat and troop- and police-contributing countries, pursuant to the statement by the President of the Security Council of 31 December 2015 (S/PRST/2015/26).
  9. Recalling the functions of the Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations in accordance with the note by the President of the Security Council (S/2002/56), the members of the Security Council welcome the participation in the meetings of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations of the Secretariat, troop- and police-contributing countries and other major stakeholders, including discussions on the proposed yearly workplan of the Working Group, and encourage this practice in order to foster closer cooperation between the Council and those actors. The Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations will continue to hold regular meetings with troop-contributing countries and police- contributing countries on relevant issues.

 

92 The members of the Security Council intend to seek the views of Member States that are parties to a conflict and/or other interested and affected parties. For that purpose, the Security Council may, inter alia, utilize private meetings when public meetings are not appropriate, in which case invitations are also to be extended in accordance with rules 37 and 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. The Security Council, when it deems appropriate, may also utilize informal dialogues.

 

93 The Security Council underscores the importance of increased coordination, cooperation and interaction among the principal organs of the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Secretariat, as well as with other relevant bodies including the Peacebuilding Commission, and regional organizations, including the African Union, and reaffirms that the relationship between the principal organs of the United Nations is mutually reinforcing and complementary, in accordance with and with full respect for their respective functions, authority, powers and competencies as enshrined in the Charter.

 

94 The members of the Security Council intend to continue to maintain regular communication with the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council for better coordination among the principal organs of the United Nations. To that end, the members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to continue holding meetings with the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on a regular basis.

 

95 The members of the Security Council also acknowledge the importance of maintaining communication with the Peacebuilding Commission as an intergovernmental advisory body and express their intention to regularly request, deliberate and draw upon its specific, strategic and targeted advice, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1645 (2005) and 2282 (2016). The Chair of the Commission and the Chairs of country-specific configurations of the Commission will be invited, as appropriate, to participate in public Council meetings. The members of the Council encourage, in addition, informal exchanges with the Chair of the Commission and the Chairs of the country-specific configurations, as appropriate, through informal interactive dialogues.

 

96 In line with paragraph 170 (a) of the 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1) and Security Council resolution 1631 (2005), as well as subsequent relevant documents, the members of the Security Council agree to continue to expand consultation and cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, including by inviting relevant organizations to participate in the Council’s public and private meetings, when appropriate.

 

97 In this regard, the members of the Security Council acknowledge the importance of annual joint consultative meetings and informal dialogues with the members of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, to exchange views on ways to strengthen cooperation and partnership, building on the progress made. The dates, venues, agendas, modalities and outcomes will be determined through consultations between the two Councils.

 

98 The members of the Security Council intend to utilize “Arria-formula” meetings as a flexible and informal forum for enhancing their deliberations. To that end, members of the Security Council may invite on an informal basis any Member State, relevant organization or individual to participate in “Arria-formula” informal meetings. The members of the Security Council agree to consider using such meetings to enhance their contact with civil society and non-governmental organizations, including local non-governmental organizations suggested by United Nations field offices. The members of the Security Council encourage the introduction of such measures as lengthening lead times, defining topics that participants might address and permitting their participation by video teleconference.

 

99 The members of the Security Council will consider ways and means of further enhancing interaction with and seeking the views of non-Council members and bodies, particularly the interested or concerned States, on issues on its agenda, including by making more effective use, as appropriate, of public meetings, informal interactive dialogues and “Arria-formula” meetings.

 

100 The members of the Security Council are committed to continuing to provide opportunities to hear the views of the broader membership on the working methods of the Council, including in any open debate on the implementation of the present note, and to welcoming the continued participation by the broader membership in such debates. The Security Council expresses its intent to continue to hold an annual open debate on its working methods and affirms its commitment to continue to keep its working methods under consideration in the regular work of the Council, with a view to ensuring their effective and consistent implementation, in accordance with the statement by the President of the Security Council of 30 October 2015 (S/PRST/2015/19).

 

A. Subsidiary bodies

101 The members of the Security Council encourage the Chairs of all subsidiary bodies to continue to report to the Council on any outstanding issues, when necessary and in any event on a regular basis, in order to receive strategic guidance from the Council. The members of the Security Council also encourage all the Chairs to continue to brief the Council, including on relevant reports, at open meetings of the Council, as appropriate.

 

102 The Security Council encourages its members to promote greater coordination between the Council as a whole and its subsidiary bodies, when considering thematic or country-specific situations.

 

103 The members of the Security Council request the Secretariat to make the schedules of all meetings and provisional agendas of the subsidiary bodies of the Council available to the public, through their websites and the Journal of the United Nations.

 

104 The members of the Security Council encourage Chairs of all subsidiary bodies of the Council, as appropriate, to provide an agreed brief summary of relevant meetings of the subsidiary bodies of the Council to non-members of the Council, including through press releases.

 

105 The members of the Security Council encourage Chairs of all subsidiary bodies of the Security Council or their designates to give, on a regular basis, informal substantive interactive briefings, when appropriate, on their activities to non-Council members, recognizing that doing so can add value to the work of those bodies. The members of the Security Council agree that the time and place of such briefings should be published in the Journal of the United Nations. The members of the Security Council encourage Chairs of all subsidiary bodies to consider any other opportunities for non-Council members to provide input to their work.

 

106 The members of the Security Council encourage subsidiary bodies of the Council to seek the views of Member States with strong interest in their areas of work. The members of the Security Council in particular encourage sanctions committees to seek the views of Member States that are particularly affected or concerned by the sanctions and to foster early and periodic engagement and dialogue between them and relevant sanctions monitoring teams, groups and panels throughout the course of their mandate.

 

107 The members of the Security Council encourage Chairs of all subsidiary bodies to continue to travel periodically to regions applicable to their work to seek the views of and engage with affected or concerned States and explain and promote the objectives of the subsidiary body’s mandate.

 

108 The members of the Security Council encourage all Chairs, including those chairing subsidiary bodies with similar themes and geographical scope, to meet regularly to discuss common concerns, best practices and ways to improve mutual cooperation, and request the Secretariat to provide support for such meetings.

 

109 The members of the Security Council intend to intensify their efforts to publicize decisions and other relevant information of the subsidiary bodies of the Council to the Member States and other organizations through correspondence, websites, outreach activities and other means, when appropriate. The members of the Security Council intend to continue to examine ways to enhance its activities in this regard. The members of the Security Council encourage subsidiary bodies of the Council to continue to review periodically policies concerning access to their documents, as appropriate.

 

110 The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretariat to provide administrative and substantive support to the subsidiary bodies of the Council. The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretariat to maintain the translation of all United Nations sanctions lists into all official languages of the United Nations. The members of the Security Council also encourage the Secretariat to continue to ensure that the information on the websites of the subsidiary bodies of the Council is accurate and updated in all official languages of the United Nations, including the reports of sanctions monitoring teams, groups and panels.

 

B. Selection of Chairs of subsidiary bodies

111 The members of the Security Council should make every effort to agree provisionally on the appointment of the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies for the following year no later than 1 October.

[S/2023/615] The members of the Security Council reaffirm the importance of ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the Council in conducting its business. In an effort to ensure that the Council can function continuously in accordance with Article 28 of the Charter of the United Nations, the members of the Security Council have agreed to the following:

(a) Consistent with paragraph 111 of the note by the President of the Security Council dated 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), the members of the Security Council remain committed to making every effort to agree provisionally on the appointment of the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies for the following year no later than 1 October;

(b) Without prejudice to paragraph 4 (b) of the note by the President of the Security Council dated 30 October 1998 (S/1998/1016) and paragraphs 111 to 114 of the note by the President of the Security Council dated 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), unless agreement is reached by 1 January on the appointment of the Chairs and, consequently, Vice-Chairs of the subsidiary bodies of the Council for the year, as a contingency measure, the responsibilities of Chairs of all of the subsidiary bodies of the Council during the month of January shall devolve to the President for the month of January.

 

112 To that end, the members of the Security Council will start an informal process of consultations, with the participation of all Council members, on the appointment of the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies from among the members of the Council for the following year as soon as possible after each election of members of the Council. The members of the Council should also consult informally with the newly elected members in the process.

 

113 This informal process of consultations will be undertaken in a balanced, transparent, efficient and inclusive way so as to facilitate an exchange of information related to the work of the subsidiary bodies involved and will be facilitated jointly by two members of the Security Council working in full cooperation.

[S/2019/991] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, including the work of its subsidiary bodies, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The members of the Security Council reaffirm that the informal consultation process for the selection of the Chairs should take place in a balanced, transparent, efficient and inclusive way; (b) The members of the Security Council stress that this informal consultation process should take into account the need for a shared responsibility and a fair distribution of work for the selection of the Chairs among all members of the Council, bearing in mind the capacities and resources of members.

 

 

114 All members and newly elected members of the Security Council should be informed of the outcome of the informal process of consultations on the appointment of the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies in a transparent and substantive way prior to the provisional agreement on the appointment.

 

C. Preparation of Chairs of subsidiary bodies

115 The Chairs of the subsidiary bodies are encouraged, with the assistance of the Secretariat as required, to provide those members of the Council that will take over the chairmanships with written and oral briefings about the work done during the outgoing chairmanship and to maintain informal meetings with the incoming Chairs, as necessary, including with the assistance of the Secretariat.

 

116 The briefings will be accompanied by documents adopted during the outgoing chairmanship and all informal documents and background information the outgoing Chair deems pertinent for enlightening the incoming Chair, including draft documents being discussed by the subsidiary body. Taking into account that such documents and information might not have been made public, they will be provided to the members that will take over the chairmanships as soon as possible after the chairmanships have been provisionally decided.

 

117 The members of the Security Council acknowledge the support given to incoming Chairs by the Secretariat and request the Secretariat to consider further measures to provide incoming Chairs and their staffs with additional substantive and methodological briefings on the work of relevant subsidiary bodies.

 

118 The members of the Security Council encourage early consultations between sanctions monitoring teams, groups and panels and incoming Chairs of the sanctions committees.

 

119 The members of the Security Council underline the value of Security Council missions for understanding, assessing and preventing escalation of particular conflicts or situations on the agenda of the Council. Security Council missions should be planned as early as practicable with the members of the Security Council that will be participating in the mission in a transparent, efficient and inclusive manner. Members of the Security Council will designate a member or members to coordinate a particular Security Council mission.

[S/2019/990] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The members of the Security Council reaffirm the value of Council missions for understanding, assessing and preventing escalation of particular conflicts or situations on the agenda of the Council; (b) The members of the Security Council stress the importance of effective communication and engagement with the host country, particularly during the early stages of planning a Council visiting mission, and considering the security situation on the ground during the planning of a Council mission; (c) Bearing in mind that all visiting missions should be agreed upon by consensus, and in an effort to promote greater efficiency and flexibility, the members of the Security Council agree to consider different composition formats when planning Council missions, including considering the possibility of, and subject to consensus by the Council, sending smaller groups of Council members on missions, inviting the Chairs of country-specific configurations of the Peacebuilding Commission to participate as observers in Council missions and dispatching joint missions with regional and subregional organizations, as appropriate and when relevant. The members of the Council reaffirm that the modalities of any such joint missions will be discussed and agreed upon on a case-by-case basis by the Council and the relevant regional and subregional organizations; (d) The members of the Security Council agree on the importance of conducting missions within a conflict prevention framework, whereby the Council conducts missions to countries or regions with developing crises, in addition to countries hosting peace operations mandated by the Council, which could serve to lend greater insight to mandate development; (e) The members of the Security Council encourage closer coordination within the United Nations system regarding visiting missions to the same country, including missions of the Council, the Chairs of its subsidiary bodies and the Secretariat, and also encourage joint briefings to the Council upon the missions’ completion.

 

 

120 As soon as the members of the Security Council agree to conduct a particular mission, the President of the Security Council will continue to inform the Secretary-General of that decision with the intended destinations and dates, in order to request the support of the Secretariat in making all the necessary arrangements to facilitate the mission.

 

121 The designated member or members will draft terms of reference for the mission as early as possible in consultation with Security Council members and the Secretariat. The terms of reference should outline the dates of the mission, its purpose, the proposed agenda and the composition of the mission. The terms of reference should be issued as a Security Council document.

[S/2019/990] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The members of the Security Council reaffirm the value of Council missions for understanding, assessing and preventing escalation of particular conflicts or situations on the agenda of the Council; (b) The members of the Security Council stress the importance of effective communication and engagement with the host country, particularly during the early stages of planning a Council visiting mission, and considering the security situation on the ground during the planning of a Council mission; (c) Bearing in mind that all visiting missions should be agreed upon by consensus, and in an effort to promote greater efficiency and flexibility, the members of the Security Council agree to consider different composition formats when planning Council missions, including considering the possibility of, and subject to consensus by the Council, sending smaller groups of Council members on missions, inviting the Chairs of country-specific configurations of the Peacebuilding Commission to participate as observers in Council missions and dispatching joint missions with regional and subregional organizations, as appropriate and when relevant. The members of the Council reaffirm that the modalities of any such joint missions will be discussed and agreed upon on a case-by-case basis by the Council and the relevant regional and subregional organizations; (d) The members of the Security Council agree on the importance of conducting missions within a conflict prevention framework, whereby the Council conducts missions to countries or regions with developing crises, in addition to countries hosting peace operations mandated by the Council, which could serve to lend greater insight to mandate development; (e) The members of the Security Council encourage closer coordination within the United Nations system regarding visiting missions to the same country, including missions of the Council, the Chairs of its subsidiary bodies and the Secretariat, and also encourage joint briefings to the Council upon the missions’ completion.

 

 

122 With a view to enhancing synergy and maximizing impact, the members of the Security Council agree to consider joint missions of the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union to conflict situations in Africa. The modalities of joint missions will be discussed and agreed on a case-by-case basis by the two Councils.

[S/2019/990] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The members of the Security Council reaffirm the value of Council missions for understanding, assessing and preventing escalation of particular conflicts or situations on the agenda of the Council; (b) The members of the Security Council stress the importance of effective communication and engagement with the host country, particularly during the early stages of planning a Council visiting mission, and considering the security situation on the ground during the planning of a Council mission; (c) Bearing in mind that all visiting missions should be agreed upon by consensus, and in an effort to promote greater efficiency and flexibility, the members of the Security Council agree to consider different composition formats when planning Council missions, including considering the possibility of, and subject to consensus by the Council, sending smaller groups of Council members on missions, inviting the Chairs of country-specific configurations of the Peacebuilding Commission to participate as observers in Council missions and dispatching joint missions with regional and subregional organizations, as appropriate and when relevant. The members of the Council reaffirm that the modalities of any such joint missions will be discussed and agreed upon on a case-by-case basis by the Council and the relevant regional and subregional organizations; (d) The members of the Security Council agree on the importance of conducting missions within a conflict prevention framework, whereby the Council conducts missions to countries or regions with developing crises, in addition to countries hosting peace operations mandated by the Council, which could serve to lend greater insight to mandate development; (e) The members of the Security Council encourage closer coordination within the United Nations system regarding visiting missions to the same country, including missions of the Council, the Chairs of its subsidiary bodies and the Secretariat, and also encourage joint briefings to the Council upon the missions’ completion.

 

 

123 The members of the Security Council encourage Security Council missions to have a focused itinerary with a schedule of meetings which would allow meaningful exchanges at each meeting. The members of the Security Council encourage Security Council missions to continue to avoid restricting their meetings to those with governmental interlocutors and interlocutors of conflict parties and to hold, as appropriate, meetings with local civil society leaders, non-governmental organizations and other interested parties.

[S/2019/990] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The members of the Security Council reaffirm the value of Council missions for understanding, assessing and preventing escalation of particular conflicts or situations on the agenda of the Council; (b) The members of the Security Council stress the importance of effective communication and engagement with the host country, particularly during the early stages of planning a Council visiting mission, and considering the security situation on the ground during the planning of a Council mission; (c) Bearing in mind that all visiting missions should be agreed upon by consensus, and in an effort to promote greater efficiency and flexibility, the members of the Security Council agree to consider different composition formats when planning Council missions, including considering the possibility of, and subject to consensus by the Council, sending smaller groups of Council members on missions, inviting the Chairs of country-specific configurations of the Peacebuilding Commission to participate as observers in Council missions and dispatching joint missions with regional and subregional organizations, as appropriate and when relevant. The members of the Council reaffirm that the modalities of any such joint missions will be discussed and agreed upon on a case-by-case basis by the Council and the relevant regional and subregional organizations; (d) The members of the Security Council agree on the importance of conducting missions within a conflict prevention framework, whereby the Council conducts missions to countries or regions with developing crises, in addition to countries hosting peace operations mandated by the Council, which could serve to lend greater insight to mandate development; (e) The members of the Security Council encourage closer coordination within the United Nations system regarding visiting missions to the same country, including missions of the Council, the Chairs of its subsidiary bodies and the Secretariat, and also encourage joint briefings to the Council upon the missions’ completion.

 

 

124 The members of the Security Council agree that Security Council missions should be followed up as appropriate. Upon the return of the mission, the designated member or members should brief the Security Council on the mission, as early as possible and preferably within one month after the return of the mission, orally and/or with a written report which should be issued as a document of the Security Council.

 

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125 The Security Council will take the necessary action to ensure the timely submission of its report to the General Assembly in accordance with Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations.

[S/2019/997] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) concerning the Council’s documentation and other procedural questions, specifically in paragraphs 130 and 132, and in a further effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, and in particular the relevant measures relating to the annual report of the Council to the General Assembly, the members of the Council have decided as follows: (a) The Security Council reiterates its willingness to take the action necessary to ensure the timely submission of its report to the General Assembly in accordance with Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations; (b) The members of the Security Council recall that the introduction to the report shall be completed no later than 31 January so as to allow the Secretariat enough time for translation; (c) The Secretariat should submit the draft report, including the introduction to the report, to the members of the Security Council no later than 15 March following the period covered by the report, so that it may be discussed and thereafter adopted by the Council no later than 30 May, in time for its consideration by the General Assembly immediately thereafter. The members of the Security Council further agree that the aforementioned provisions shall be applicable to the report to be presented to the General Assembly at its seventy-fifth session, in 2021, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2020.

 

 

126 The Security Council will continue with the existing practice whereby the annual report is submitted to the General Assembly in a single volume. The period of coverage for the reports shall be from 1 January to 31 December for all reports to be presented to the General Assembly at and after its seventy-second session.

 

127 The report shall consist of an introduction, containing an agreed concise summary prepared on behalf of the Council under the coordination of the President of the Council for the month of July. In the case of the presidency for the month of July ending its tenure on the Council that year, the task of coordinating the introduction of the report shall then devolve on the member of the Council next in English alphabetical order and who will not be leaving the Security Council that calendar year.

 

128 The introduction, which should not exceed 10,000 words, may contain, inter alia, a brief description of the key activities and trends, and the nature of decisions taken by the Security Council during the period covered by the report.

 

129 While drafting the introduction to the report, the member of the Council preparing the introduction is encouraged to consult for reference the monthly assessments described in paragraph 136 below, and may, when necessary, seek advice from other members of the Council. It may also consider organizing, where appropriate, interactive informal exchanges of views with the wider membership.

 

130 The introduction to the report should continue to be approved by all members of the Council who served on the Council during the reporting period. The introduction shall be completed no later than 31 January so as to allow the Secretariat enough time for translation.

[S/2019/997] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) concerning the Council’s documentation and other procedural questions, specifically in paragraphs 130 and 132, and in a further effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, and in particular the relevant measures relating to the annual report of the Council to the General Assembly, the members of the Council have decided as follows: (a) The Security Council reiterates its willingness to take the action necessary to ensure the timely submission of its report to the General Assembly in accordance with Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations; (b) The members of the Security Council recall that the introduction to the report shall be completed no later than 31 January so as to allow the Secretariat enough time for translation; (c) The Secretariat should submit the draft report, including the introduction to the report, to the members of the Security Council no later than 15 March following the period covered by the report, so that it may be discussed and thereafter adopted by the Council no later than 30 May, in time for its consideration by the General Assembly immediately thereafter. The members of the Security Council further agree that the aforementioned provisions shall be applicable to the report to be presented to the General Assembly at its seventy-fifth session, in 2021, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2020.

 

 

131 The remainder of the report shall be prepared by the Secretariat and shall be approved by all current members of the Council and the immediate past elected members who served on the Council during the reporting period covered, and shall contain the following parts:

  1. Part I shall contain a brief statistical description of the key activities relating to all questions considered by the Security Council under its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security during the period covered by the report, including a list of each of the following, with document symbols, as appropriate:
    1. All decisions, resolutions, presidential statements and official communiqués adopted by the Security Council;
    2. Meetings of the Security Council, including with troop and police-contributing countries;
    3. Meetings of subsidiary bodies, including counter-terrorism committees, sanctions committees and working groups;
    4. Reports of panels and monitoring mechanisms;
    5. Reports of Security Council missions undertaken;
    6. Peacekeeping operations established, functioning or terminated;
    7. Assistance missions and offices established, functioning or terminated;
    8. Reports of the Secretary-General submitted to the Security Council;
    9. References to the summary statements by the Secretary-General of matters of which the Security Council was seized for the period covered by the report;
    10. Notes by the President of the Security Council and other documents issued by the Security Council for the further improvement of the work of the Council;
    11. Assessment reports issued by the individual monthly presidencies of the Council on its work;
  2. Part II shall contain information relating to each question considered by the Security Council during the reporting period, in at least one formal meeting, under its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security:
    1. Factual data on the number of meetings and informal consultations;
    2. A notice of all decisions, resolutions, presidential statements, and draft resolutions considered by the Council at its meetings but not adopted;
    3. A list of the peacekeeping operations and assistance missions and offices established, functioning or terminated, as appropriate;
    4. A list of the relevant panels and monitoring mechanisms and their reports, as appropriate;
    5. A list of the reports of the Secretary-General submitted to the Security Council;
    6. A list of the Security Council missions undertaken and their reports, as appropriate;
    7. All communications issued by the Council or transmitted to the Council in connection with each agenda item considered;
  3. Part III shall contain an account of the other matters considered by the Security Council;
  4. Part IV shall contain an account of the work of the Military Staff Committee;
  5. Part V shall cover matters that were brought to the attention of the Council but not discussed at the meetings of the Council during the reporting period;
  6. The members of the Security Council acknowledge that the work of the Security Council subsidiary bodies is an inseparable part of the Council’s work. Part VI of the report shall therefore contain information pertaining to the work of subsidiary bodies of the Security Council, including counter-terrorism committees, sanctions committees, working groups, and international tribunals established by the Security Council, as appropriate. This information shall be presented by means of references and hyperlinks to the separate annual reports of the subsidiary bodies of the Council.

 

132 The Secretariat should submit the draft report to the members of the Council no later than 15 March, immediately following the period covered by the report, so that it may be discussed and thereafter adopted by the Council in time for consideration by the General Assembly in the spring of that calendar year.

[S/2019/997] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) concerning the Council’s documentation and other procedural questions, specifically in paragraphs 130 and 132, and in a further effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, and in particular the relevant measures relating to the annual report of the Council to the General Assembly, the members of the Council have decided as follows: (a) The Security Council reiterates its willingness to take the action necessary to ensure the timely submission of its report to the General Assembly in accordance with Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations; (b) The members of the Security Council recall that the introduction to the report shall be completed no later than 31 January so as to allow the Secretariat enough time for translation; (c) The Secretariat should submit the draft report, including the introduction to the report, to the members of the Security Council no later than 15 March following the period covered by the report, so that it may be discussed and thereafter adopted by the Council no later than 30 May, in time for its consideration by the General Assembly immediately thereafter. The members of the Security Council further agree that the aforementioned provisions shall be applicable to the report to be presented to the General Assembly at its seventy-fifth session, in 2021, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2020.

 

 

133 The Secretariat should, subject to regular review, in a timely manner and in all the official United Nations languages, prepare and post on the United Nations website information related to the Security Council activities that could have been contained in annexes to the annual report, including:

  1. Activities and items relating to each question considered by the Security Council under its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security;
  2. Information about the work of subsidiary bodies of the Security Council, including counter-terrorism committees, sanctions committees, working groups and international tribunals established by the Security Council, as appropriate;
  3. Other information on activities relating to all questions considered by the Security Council under its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

 

134 The report will continue to be adopted at a public meeting of the Security Council, at which members of the Council who wish to do so may comment on the work of the Council for the period covered by the report. The President of the Council for the month in which the report is presented to the General Assembly will also make reference to the verbatim record of the Council’s discussion prior to its adoption of the annual report.

 

135 The Secretariat should post the current annual report of the Security Council on the United Nations website. The relevant web page should be updated to provide the information as necessitated under future notes issued by the President of the Security Council with respect to the annual report.

 

136 The members of the Security Council recognize the value of a monthly assessment of each presidency in providing as much information as possible on the main aspects of the work of the Council during that month, which can be useful in the preparation of the annual report. Each presidency is encouraged to prepare its monthly assessment soon after the end of the presidency in a timely manner and to include a concise summary in its monthly assessment.

 

137 If appropriate, the President of the Security Council will continue the practice of not scheduling meetings or informal consultations of the Council on the first day of the debate on the report in the General Assembly.

 

138 The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Security Council in charge of the presentation of the report to the General Assembly to report to Council members on relevant suggestions and observations raised during the General Assembly debate on the annual report.

 

139 The members of the Security Council encourage continuing efforts to ensure the inclusion in the annual report of more substantive information on the Council’s work. The Secretariat is encouraged to advise, at least once a year, the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions on the preparation of the draft annual report, including ways to improve its structure in a cost-efficient way and to take into account the publication of relevant information on the United Nations website. The members of the Security Council will continue their consideration of other suggestions concerning improvements to the annual report and related activities.

 

140 The Security Council invites the newly elected members of the Council to observe all meetings of the Council and its subsidiary bodies and the informal consultations of the whole for a period of three months, as from 1 October immediately preceding their term of membership.

[S/2019/993] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The Security Council may invite the newly elected members of the Council to observe informal consultations – as appropriate, and strictly without participation and with full respect for the confidentiality of the deliberations – on Council outcome documents for a period of three months, as from 1 October immediately preceding their term of membership, in addition to observing all meetings of the Council and its subsidiary bodies and the informal consultations of the whole, as already stated in paragraph 140 of the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507); (b) The members of the Security Council recall that, notwithstanding the foregoing measure, the Council will not invite the newly elected members to a specific private meeting of the Council or to specific informal negotiations of the whole if a request to that effect is made by a member of the Council where exceptional circumstances exist; (c) In addition, the Security Council invites the Secretariat to provide all communications of the Council to the newly elected members for a period of five months, as from 1 August immediately preceding their term of membership, instead of the three-month period stated in paragraph 140 of the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507).

 

The Council also invites the Secretariat to provide all relevant communications of the Council to the newly elected members during the above-mentioned period.

[S/2019/993] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The Security Council may invite the newly elected members of the Council to observe informal consultations – as appropriate, and strictly without participation and with full respect for the confidentiality of the deliberations – on Council outcome documents for a period of three months, as from 1 October immediately preceding their term of membership, in addition to observing all meetings of the Council and its subsidiary bodies and the informal consultations of the whole, as already stated in paragraph 140 of the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507); (b) The members of the Security Council recall that, notwithstanding the foregoing measure, the Council will not invite the newly elected members to a specific private meeting of the Council or to specific informal negotiations of the whole if a request to that effect is made by a member of the Council where exceptional circumstances exist; (c) In addition, the Security Council invites the Secretariat to provide all communications of the Council to the newly elected members for a period of five months, as from 1 August immediately preceding their term of membership, instead of the three-month period stated in paragraph 140 of the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507).

 

 

141 Notwithstanding the foregoing measure, the Security Council will not invite the newly elected members to a specific private meeting of the Council or to specific informal consultations of the whole if a request to that effect is made by a member of the Council where exceptional circumstances exist. The newly elected members will not be invited to the meetings of the Council or the informal consultations of the whole related to the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. The newly elected members may be invited to the monthly luncheon with the Secretary-General held in December immediately preceding their term of membership, at the discretion of the President of the Council for that month.

[S/2019/993] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507) and in an effort to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council’s work, the members of the Council have agreed on the following: (a) The Security Council may invite the newly elected members of the Council to observe informal consultations – as appropriate, and strictly without participation and with full respect for the confidentiality of the deliberations – on Council outcome documents for a period of three months, as from 1 October immediately preceding their term of membership, in addition to observing all meetings of the Council and its subsidiary bodies and the informal consultations of the whole, as already stated in paragraph 140 of the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507); (b) The members of the Security Council recall that, notwithstanding the foregoing measure, the Council will not invite the newly elected members to a specific private meeting of the Council or to specific informal negotiations of the whole if a request to that effect is made by a member of the Council where exceptional circumstances exist; (c) In addition, the Security Council invites the Secretariat to provide all communications of the Council to the newly elected members for a period of five months, as from 1 August immediately preceding their term of membership, instead of the three-month period stated in paragraph 140 of the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507).

 

 

142 The Security Council invites the Secretariat to continue to take appropriate measures to familiarize the newly elected members with the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, including by providing briefing materials and holding seminars before they begin to attend Council meetings.

See also S/2021/645

[S/2021/645] Further to the measures contained in the note by the President of the Security Council of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), the members of the Council have agreed on the following: In reference to paragraph 142 of the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507), whereby the Security Council invited the Secretariat to continue to take appropriate measures to familiarize the newly elected members with the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, including by providing briefing materials and holding seminars before they begin to attend Council meetings, the members of the Council have agreed that the paragraph will be amended to read as follows: The Security Council invites the Secretariat to continue to take appropriate measures to familiarize all members with the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, including by providing briefing materials and holding seminars before they begin to attend Council meetings and, to the extent feasible, by keeping a register of available training opportunities that are being offered.

 

 

S/2019/996

Following consultations among the members of the Security Council, and in line with the efforts of the United Nations and its Member States to promote the advancement of women and greater gender inclusivity and equality in their policies and practices, the members of the Council confirm, as a matter of existing Council practice, that any reference to a male person in the Council’s provisional rules of procedure is deemed not to be limited to male persons. Thus, any such reference also constitutes a reference to a female person, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

 

S/2021/648

Recalling chapter VIII of the provisional rules of procedure, the members of the Security Council, in an effort to enhance effectiveness, involvement and inclusivity during the Council’s discussions and strengthen the Council’s overall functioning, reaffirm their commitment to prioritizing multilingualism at all times.

 

S/2021/1074

Drawing from lessons learned, and recalling the temporary, extraordinary and provisional measures set out in the various letters by the President of the Security Council during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Security Council commits itself to maintaining its state of readiness under all circumstances, in an effort to ensure that it can function continuously in accordance with Article 28 of the Charter of the United Nations.