The Procedure of the UN Security Council

I: The Constitutional Framework 1: Role of procedure 2: The Charter 3: Role and function of the Security Council 4: Provisional Rules of Procedure 5: Further documentation of procedures II: Place and Format of Council Proceedings 1: Formats of meetings 2: Formal public (open) meetings 3: Formal private (closed) meetings 4: 'Periodic meetings', summits, and high-level meetings 5: Thematic debates 6: 'Orientation debates' 7: Wrap-up meetings 8: Meetings away from Headquarters 9: Place of meeting at Headquarters 10: Informal consultations of the whole 11: 'Arria-formula' meetings and 'Somavía-formula' meetings 12: Informal interactive dialogues or discussions 13: Other informal formats 14: Interpretation and translation III: The People 1: The President 2: Permanent members 3: Non-permanent members 4: Regional and other groups 5: 'Groups of friends' 6: Political coordinators and experts 7: Credentials 8: Representation of China and of the Russian Federation 9: Permanent Missions and representation 10: Secretary-General and the Secretariat 11: Individual actions can make a difference IV: The Council Convenes 1: Convening a meeting 2: Rejection of items 3: Agenda and Summary statement of matters of which the Council is seized 4: No requirement of a quorum 5: Notice of meetings 6: Timing of meetings V: Conduct of Meetings and Participation 1: States invited to participate in Council proceedings 2: Individuals invited to participate in Council proceedings 3: Participation of Palestinian officials 4: Order of speakers 5: 'Right of reply' or 'further statements' 6: Motions, proposals, and suggestions 7: 'Blue' draft resolutions and order of submission 8: Non-member submission and co-sponsorship of resolutions 9: Amendments 10: Points of order 11: 'Precedence motions' 12: Rulings by the President 13: 'Stopping the clock' VI: Voting 1: Substantive decisions and the veto 2: Insufficient affirmative votes 3: Procedural matters and the 'double veto' 4: Voting on the establishment of subsidiary organs 5: Voting on amendments 6: Separate voting on paragraphs 7: Interruption of voting 8: Unanimity, consensus, and adoption by acclamation 9: Abstentions 10: Non-participation in the vote 11: Absences 12: Finality of the voting process 13: Statements before or after the vote 14: Draft resolutions withdrawn or not brought to a vote 15: Reconsideration of texts not adopted VII: Decisions and Documents 1: Formats of decisions 2: Decisions in the context of the Charter 3: Resolutions 4: Statements by the President 5: Decisions to recommend appointment of Secretaries-General 6: Decisions relating to UN membership 7: Letters by the Council President 8: Notes by the President 9: Statements by the President to the press 10: Monthly forecast and calendar 11: Reports of the Secretary-General 12: Communications 13: Communications from private individuals and NGOs 14: Compendium documents 15: Categories of individual documents VIII: Subsidiary Bodies 1: Military Staff Committee 2: Peacebuilding Commission 3: Subsidiary bodies concerned with Council procedure 4: Subsidiary bodies concerned with United Nations membership 5: Subsidiary bodies concerned with the maintenance of international peace and security 6: Thematic subsidiary bodies 7: Appointment of bureaux of subsidiary bodies 8: Reporting by subsidiary bodies IX: Relations with other Organs and Entities 1: General Assembly 2: Economic and Social Council 3: Trusteeship Council 4: International Court of Justice 5: United Nations agencies, funds, and programmes 6: International Atomic Energy Agency 7: International Criminal Court 8: Special courts, tribunals, and investigative panels 9: Regional and subregional organizations X: Concluding Reflections