Procedural Issues

The Security Council’s proceedings are based on its own Provisional Rules of Procedure and on various Articles of the United Nations Charter.

 

Provisional Rules of Procedure

The Provisional Rules of Procedure were adopted by the Security Council at its first meeting in 1946, based on Article 30 of the Charter. They were subsequently amended on several occasions; the last revision was made in 1982 (S/96/Rev.7) in order to add Arabic as the sixth official language.

Membership in the United Nations

One of the most prominent procedural issues in the realm of the Security Council is the admission of new members: Article 4, paragraph 2 of the Charter of the United Nations states that the admission of States to the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly following the recommendation of the Security Council.

Relations with other UN Organs

The Charter defines the relations of the Security Council with the other principal organs of the United Nations: the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the Secretariat.