Security Council Informal Working Group
on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions

S/2012/937
Note by the President of the Security Council

17 December 2012

Additional measures to the Note by the President (S/2010/507) in relation to the informal process with the participation of all Council members as regards appointing the Chairpersons of the subsidiary organs in a balanced, transparent, efficient and inclusive way, which facilitates an exchange of information related to the work of the subsidiary organs.

S/2012/922
Note by the President of the Security Council

12 December 2012

The members of the Security Council reaffirm their commitment to enhancing the efficiency and transparency of the work of the Council, including interaction and dialogue with other Member States, and to implementing, all previously agreed measures, in particular those contained in the Note by the President of the Security Council (S/2010/507).

S/2012/402
Note by the President of the Security Council

5 June 2012

The Note conveys the Security Council members’ commitment to enhance the efficiency of the Council’s work and agree on several efficiency enhancing working methods including better organization of conference resources, increasing interactively and a more efficient use of time in briefings, increasing the use of video teleconferencing for briefing the Council where appropriate.

S/2010/507
Note by the President of the Security Council

26 July 2010

Incorporates and further develops the Notes by the President – S/2006/507, S/2007/749 and S/2008/847, by superseding those notes. Contains a concise and user-friendly list of the recent practices and newly agreed measures, to serve as guidance for the Council’s work.

S/2008/847
Note by the President of the Security Council

31 December 2008

Consolidation and revision of the provisions concerning the summary statement of matters of which the Security Council is seized (seizure statement)

S/2007/749
Note by the President of the Security Council

19 December 2007

Additional measures to the Note by the President S/2006/507 in relation to the following: informal consultations of the whole, matters of which the Council is seized, and the Annual report to the General Assembly.

S/2006/507
Note by the President of the Security Council

19 July 2006

Measures to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Council’s work, as well as interaction and dialogue with non-Council members. List of the recent practices and newly agreed measures, to serve as guidance for the Council’s work in relation to the following:
agenda; briefings; documentation; informal consultations of the whole; meetings; programme of work; resolutions and presidential statements; subsidiary bodies;  matters of which the Council is seized; communication with the Secretariat and outside; the Annual report to the General Assembly; and newly elected members.

S/2005/841
Note by the President of the Security Council

29 December 2005

Extension of the mandate of the informal working group until 31 December 2006; reiterates task of working group to develop general recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions, and lists issues to be addressed within this framework, such as improving cooperation between sanctions committees; duration and lifting of sanctions; de-listing procedures; and secondary sanctions.

S/2005/251
Note by the President of the Security Council

18 April 2005

Formulation of the title of the agenda item for issues pertaining to Iraq.

S/2004/1014
Note by the President of the Security Council

23 December 2004

Extension of the mandate of the informal working group until 31 December 2005; reiterates task of working group to develop general recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions, and lists issues to be addressed within this framework, such as improving cooperation between sanctions committees; duration and lifting of sanctions; de-listing procedures; and secondary sanctions.

S/2004/939
Note by the President of the Security Council

2 December 2004

Attendance of the informal consultations of the whole, as well as both formal and informal meetings of the subsidiary bodies of the Council, by newly elected members during the month preceding their term. 

S/2003/1185
Note by the President of the Security Council

18 December 2003

Extension of the mandate of the informal working group until 31 December 2004; reiterates task of working group to develop general recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions.

S/2002/1276
Note by the President of the Security Council

22 November 2002

Attendance of the informal consultations of the whole and the formal meetings of the subsidiary bodies of the Council by newly elected members during the month preceding their term. 

S/2002/964
Note by the President of the Security Council

27 August 2002

Criteria for participation in private meetings of the Council and consultation meetings with troop-contributing countries under resolution 1353 (2001), annex II, sections A and B.

S/2002/591
Note by the President of the Security Council

29 May 2002

Seating arrangements for non-members of the Security Council invited to speak at its meetings.

S/2002/316
Note by the President of the Security Council

26 March 2002

Introduction of agenda items in public meetings by specifying the agenda item/issue for consideration.
Inclusion and circulation of printed fact sheets for briefings by the Secretariat to Council members.
Publication and distribution dates of reports of the Secretary-General.
Addressing speakers by name and title in public meetings.

S/2002/199
Note by the President of the Security Council

26 February 2002, reissued on 22 May 2002

Annual report to the General Assembly: change of period covered by the report; revision of format; presentation of the report to the General Assembly by the President of the Council.

S/2002/70
Note by the President to the Security Council

15 January 2002

Appointment of new Chairman of the informal working group; reiterates task of working group to develop general recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions.

S/2002/56
Note by the President of the Security Council

14 January 2002

Joint meetings of the Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and troop-contributing countries as an additional mechanism for strengthening cooperation with troop-contributing countries on specific peacekeeping operations.

S/2001/640
Note by the President of the Security Council

29 June 2001

Communication and dissemination by the President and Secretariat of Council decisions and statements to the press. Issuance of statements to the press made by the President as United Nations press releases.
Communication and dissemination by the Secretariat of Council decisions and statements to the press and to all those concerned.

S/PRST/2001/3
Statement by the President of the Security Council

31 January 2001

Implementation of resolution 1327 (2000), S/PRST/1996/13 and S/PRST/1994/22. Establishment of a Working Group of the Whole on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, to address both generic peacekeeping issues relevant to the responsibilities of the Council and technical aspects of individual peacekeeping operations.

S/2000/319
Note by the President to the Security Council

17 April 2000

Establishment of an informal working group of the Council to develop general recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions, including the working methods of sanctions committees and inter-committee coordination.

S/2000/274
Note by the President of the Security Council

31 March 2000

Arrangements for the distribution of statements in the Council Chamber.

S/2000/155
Note by the President of the Security Council

28 February 2000

Attendance of the informal consultations of the whole by newly elected members during the month preceding their term.

S/1999/1291
Note by the President of the Security Council

30 December 1999

Briefings by the Secretariat in Council meetings. Content and modalities of briefings by the President to non-members of the Council after informal consultations of the whole.
Timely circulation of briefing notes on field operations to non-members of the Council.
Draft resolutions and draft presidential statements to be made available to non-members of the Council as soon as they are introduced in informal consultations of the whole.
Non-exhaustive range of public and private meeting options.
Identification of additional matters for consideration at public meetings, including situations involving specific countries.

S/1999/165
Note by the President of the Security Council

17 February 1999

Full participation of all Council members and sufficient time to be allowed in the preparation of resolutions and presidential statements; contributions by groups of friends and similar arrangements welcomed.

S/1999/92
Note by the President of the Security Council

29 January 1999

List of practical measures to improve the work of sanctions committees.

S/1998/1016
Note by the President of the Security Council

30 October 1998

Annual report to the General Assembly to contain annual reports of sanctions committees.
Arrangements regarding the appointment of the bureaux of sanctions committees.
Circulation of statements by troop-contributing countries and the Secretariat’s briefing notes at meetings with troop-contributing countries as well as weekly briefing notes on field operations to troop-contributing countries. Invitation to relevant United Nations bodies and agencies and other Member States to meetings with troop-contributing countries as appropriate.
Secretariat to establish a mechanism to alert non-members of the Council of unscheduled or emergency meetings.
Statements by the Secretary-General in public meetings.

S/1998/354
Note by the President of the Security Council

30 April 1998

Availability of provisional schedule of work to Member States.

S/1997/451
Note by the President of the Security Council

12 June 1997

Changes to the format and additions to the Annual report to the General Assembly.

S/1996/704
Note by the President of the Security Council

29 August 1996

Modifies S/1996/603 so that no item will be deleted from the list without the prior consent of the Member States concerned in accordance with the procedure set out.

S/1996/603
Note by the President of the Security Council

30 July 1996, reissued on 22 August 1996

As from 15 September 1996, matters which have not been considered in the preceding five years will be automatically deleted from the list unless a Member State notifies its objection to deletion before that date.

S/PRST/1996/13
Statement by the President of the Security Council

28 March 1996

Enhanced procedures for meetings between troop-contributing countries, Council members and the Secretariat. Retains inclusion of meetings with troop-contributing countries in the monthly tentative forecast of work and the Journal and in the annual report.

S/1996/54
Note by the President of the Security Council

24 January 1996

Oral briefings by the Chairman of each sanctions committee to interested Member States after each meeting.

S/1995/438
Note by the President of the Security Council

31 May 1995

Continuation of practice of hearing comments by Member States and organizations concerned during closed meetings of sanctions committees.

S/1995/234
Note by the President of the Security Council

29 March 1995

List of improvements to make the procedures of sanctions committees more transparent.

S/PRST/1994/81
Statement by the President of the Security Council

16 December 1994

Increased recourse to public meetings, in particular at an early stage in the Council’s consideration of a subject.

S/PRST/1994/62
Statement by the President of the Security Council

4 November 1994

Procedures for meetings between troop-contributing countries, Council members and the Secretariat. Inclusion of expected schedule of meetings with troop-contributing countries in the Council’s monthly tentative forecast of work and time and venue of those meetings in the Journal.

President to summarize views expressed at meetings with troop-contributing countries, in the course of informal consultations of the whole.

S/PRST/1994/22
Statement by the President of the Security Council

3 May 1994

Consideration of the recommendations in the Secretary-General’s report entitled “Improving the capacity of the United Nations for peacekeeping” (S/26450 and Add.1 and 2), including factors to be taken into account when considering new peacekeeping operations, and increased communications between the Council and troop-contributing countries.

S/1994/329
Note by the President of the Security Council

23 March 1994

Arrangements for the distribution of statements outside the Council Chamber.

S/1994/230
Note by the President of the Security Council

28 February 1994

Circulation in informal consultations of the whole of the Secretary-General’s statements to the press on matters of concern to the Council.
Draft resolutions in provisional form to be made available to non-members of the Council at the time of informal consultations of the whole or the following day.

S/26812
Note by the President of the Security Council

29 November 1993

Use of descriptive formulations of agenda items to avoid having a number of separate items on the same subject.

S/26389
Note by the President of the Security Council

31 August 1993

Issuance of Council documents.

S/26176
Note by the President of the Security Council

27 July 1993

Circulation of tentative forecast of programme of work to Member States.

S/26015
Note by the President of the Security Council

30 June 1993 

Inclusion in the Journal of provisional agenda for public meetings of the Council.
Changes to the format of the Security Council’s annual report to the General Assembly, its distribution and adoption at a public meeting.
Procedure for citation of documents referred to in draft resolutions or presidential statements, including prefixes.
Approval of presidential statements to include agreed formulation of subject matter under which it is authorized.