Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council

A general view of the First session of the United Nations Security Council held on 17 January 1946 at Church House, London.

UN Photo / Marcel Bolomey. 17 January 1946

A wide view of the Security Council chamber prior to the meeting on maintenance of international peace and security.

UN Photo / Mark Garten. 9 January 2020

The Repertoire through the years.

UN Photo / Marcel Bolomey. 1956

About the Repertoire

The Repertoire, mandated by the General Assembly in resolution 686 (VII) in 1952, provides comprehensive coverage of the Security Council’s interpretation and application of the United Nations Charter and its own Provisional Rules of Procedure since 1946. Its primary purpose is to provide Member States, including those elected to serve on the Security Council, the United Nations system, academics and others with a source of information regarding the evolving practice of the Security Council.

Navigate the Repertoire

Agenda items

An overview of the Council’s activities for each item on its agenda during the period covered by individual supplements of the Repertoire.

Procedural issues

Application of the provisional rules of procedure and of Articles of the UN Charter which form the procedural framework within which the Council organizes its work and decisions.

Constitutional issues

Application and discussion of the Articles of the UN Charter with reference to the Security Council’s functions, powers and measures.

Subsidiary organs

Subsidiary organs, including special political missions, peacekeeping operations, sanctions committees, working groups and others.

Structure of the Repertoire

Browse By Chapters or Parts

From the years 1946-2007, each Supplement to the Repertoire is organized into 12 chapters. From 2008 onwards, each Supplement is organized into 10 parts covering the four Primary Areas of the Repertoire.

Research and Analysis

The Research and Analysis page provides links to tables on procedural and constitutional topics relating to the practice of the Security Council that were included in the volumes of the Repertoire in different periods. It also includes new tables, graphs and other data sets that provide information over larger periods spanning multiple volumes of the Repertoire. This section will be updated with new data sets and tables as they are completed.