Report of the Security Council; Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters: joint debate
Background: Report of the Security Council
The Security Council submits an annual report to the General Assembly under Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter and the Assembly considers the report in accordance with Article 15, paragraph 1. The Council's report is included in the provisional agenda of the Assembly pursuant to rule 13 (b) of the rules of procedure.
The General Assembly sometimes in the past has taken note of the report of the Security Council without discussion. However, at its twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh sessions, in 1971 and 1972, the Assembly, in connection with its consideration of the Council's report, decided to seek the views of Member States on ways and means of enhancing the effectiveness of the Council in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Charter (resolutions 2864 (XXVI) and 2991 (XXVII)). At its twenty-eighth session, the Assembly drew the attention of the Council, when considering steps to enhance its effectiveness in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Charter, to the views and suggestions submitted by Member States in response to the above-mentioned resolutions as contained in the Secretary-General's reports on the matter (A/8447 and Add.1 and A/9243) (resolution 3186 (XXVIII)). At its fifty-first session, the Assembly invited the Security Council, through an appropriate procedure or mechanism, to update the General Assembly on a regular basis on the steps it had taken or was contemplating with respect to improving its reporting to the Assembly (resolution 51/193).
At its sixty-first session, the General Assembly took note of the report of the Security Council covering the period from 1 August 2005 to 31 July 2006 (decision 61/519 [page 15]).
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References for the sixty-first session (agenda items 9 and 111)
- Report of the Security Council: Supplement No. 2 (A/61/2 and Corr.1)
- Plenary meetings A/61/PV.72, A/61/PV.73, A/61/PV.74, and A/61/PV.75 (joint debate with item 111)
- Decision 61/519 [page 15]
Background: Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters
At its resumed sixty-first session, in September 2007, the General Assembly took note of the report of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters related to the Security Council on its work during the sixty-first session; and decided that the question should be considered during the sixty-second session of the General Assembly so that further concrete steps might be achieved, and that the Working Group should continue its work and submit a report to the Assembly before the end of its sixty-second session, including any agreed recommendations (decision 61/561).
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References for the sixty-first session (agenda item 111)
- Report of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters related to the Security Council: Supplement No. 47 (A/61/47)
- Draft report submitted by the Chairperson A/AC.247/2007/L.1/Rev.1
- Draft resolution A/61/L.69/Rev.1
- Plenary meetings A/61/PV.72, A/61/PV.73, A/61/PV.74, and A/61/PV.75 and A/61/PV.109
- Decision 61/561
