45 The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council, with the assistance of the Secretariat, to actively promote additional appropriate measures to increase interactivity and a more efficient use of time during informal consultations of the whole.

46 The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to suggest, through consultations with interested members and/or the Secretariat, as appropriate, a few areas for Council members and the Secretariat to focus on at the Council’s next informal consultations, without the intention of prescribing the scope of discussion, at least one day before the consultations are to be held.

47 The members of the Security Council plan to minimize, to the extent possible, the reading out of lengthy pre-prepared statements in informal consultations of the whole. The members of the Security Council intend, where they agree with a previous speaker, in part or in whole, to express that agreement without repeating the same content.

48 The members of the Security Council agree that, as a general rule, the President of the Council should adhere to the prescribed speakers’ list. The members of the Security Council encourage the President to facilitate interaction by inviting any participant in the consultations to speak at any time, irrespective of the order of the prescribed speakers’ list, when the discussion requires it.

49 The members of the Security Council encourage speakers to direct their questions not only to the Secretariat, but also to other members.

50 The members of the Security Council do not discourage each other from taking the floor more than once, in the interest of making consultations more interactive.

51 The members of the Security Council agree that when briefings are being provided to the Council members by senior Secretariat officials, the number of staff members accompanying those officials in the consultations should be kept to a strict minimum. Unless otherwise decided, the Secretariat staff from offices other than those of the designated briefer or from United Nations agencies will normally not be invited to attend consultations. Unless otherwise decided, the Security Council Affairs Division of the Department of Political Affairs will be responsible for keeping the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General informed of matters which may require its action.

52 The members of the Security Council encourage the use of practical measures such as those mentioned in the present note, which would make it feasible, whenever possible, to hold informal consultations on two issues at a three-hour Council meeting, notably with regard to situations routinely on its agenda, thereby promoting planning accuracy and overall efficiency in the Council’s work.

53 The members of the Security Council and the Secretariat should continue to use the “Other matters” agenda item during informal consultations to raise issues of concern. The members of the Security Council encourage each other to signal intention to raise an issue under “Other matters”, along with the intended aim, to the President of the Security Council and all Council members, at least one day before the consultations, whenever possible.

54 In order to make consultations result-oriented as well as to increase the transparency of the work of the Security Council while securing confidentiality, the members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to make efforts, whenever appropriate, to suggest, at the end of consultations, general lines or elements to be used when providing briefings to the press.

55 The members of the Security Council agree that the President of the Council or his or her designate should provide substantive and detailed briefings to Member States in a timely manner. Such briefings should take place shortly after informal consultations of the whole. The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to provide the attending Member States with copies of statements that he or she makes to the media following the informal consultations, if appropriate.

56 The members of the Security Council encourage briefers to be succinct and to focus on key issues rather than reading out lengthy pre-prepared statements. At public meetings and private meetings, they encourage each briefer to limit initial remarks to 15 minutes, unless otherwise decided by the Council. In informal consultations, they encourage each briefer who is not a member of the Council to limit initial remarks to 10 minutes or, when informal consultations are preceded by open briefings, to 5 minutes, unless otherwise decided by the Council.

57 As a general rule, the purpose of initial remarks or ad hoc briefings delivered by members of the Secretariat is to supplement and update written reports of the Secretary-General or to provide members of the Security Council with more specific on-the-ground information on the most recent developments, which may not be covered in the written report. The members of the Security Council encourage members of the Secretariat to provide the latest information, as necessary, without repeating the content of written reports already available to members of the Council.

58 The members of the Security Council invite the Secretariat to continue its practice of circulating the briefing texts at briefings and, in particular, where their statements contain extensive or complicated factual information, encourage briefers to circulate written summaries of that information, whenever possible in advance, to allow for a more focused discussion during informal consultations. The members of the Security Council invite the Secretariat, as a general rule, to provide a printed fact sheet, presentation materials and/or any other relevant reference materials, whenever possible, to Council members on the day prior to the informal consultations, when briefings in the Security Council consultations room are not given on the basis of a written report.

59 The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretariat to make the briefings in informal consultations as efficient and user-friendly as possible, including by using visual aids on the screen, as appropriate. The members of the Security Council also encourage briefers to be succinct and direct in their response to questions and/or comments by Council members. In cases where information or clarification requested by Council members is not readily available during the briefings in informal consultations, briefers may provide it at a later time.

60 The members of the Security Council intend to resort more often to the use of video teleconferencing for briefing the Council, where appropriate, while preserving a balanced approach between video teleconferencing and briefings in person, including during open meetings in the open chamber.

61 The members of the Security Council intend to continue to consider requesting the Secretariat to give an ad hoc briefing at Security Council meetings in cases in which an emergent situation which justifies a briefing arises. The members of the Security Council also intend to request the Secretariat to give ad hoc briefings at informal consultations on a daily basis, if necessary, when a situation justifies such briefings.

62 The members of the Security Council agree to consider setting a six-month interval as the standard reporting period, unless the situation provides reason for shorter or longer intervals. The members of the Security Council also agree to define reporting intervals as clearly as possible when adopting resolutions. The members of the Security Council further agree to request oral reporting, which does not require submission of a written report, if the members of the Council consider that it would serve the purpose satisfactorily, and to indicate that request as clearly as possible.

63 The Security Council agrees to cooperate with other organs of the United Nations in synchronizing reporting obligations of the Secretariat on the same subject, if appropriate, while giving priority to the effective work of the Council.

64 The members of the Security Council agree that reports of the Secretary- General should be circulated to Council members and made available in all official languages of the United Nations at least four working days before the Council is scheduled to consider them. The members of the Security Council also agree that the same rule should apply to making such reports available to relevant participants in Council meetings at which those reports are discussed, including the distribution of the reports on peacekeeping missions to all participants in meetings of troop- and police-contributing countries.

65 The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretary-General to make reports as concise as possible and give an ample cut-off time in order for the reports to be issued in a timely manner.

66 The members of the Security Council encourage the Secretary-General to include a section in his or her reports where all recommendations are listed, when presenting recommendations to the Council regarding the mandate of a United Nations mission. They also encourage the Secretary-General to include, where appropriate and possible, fact sheets, maps, statistics and charts in his or her reports in order to make the reports as user-friendly as possible.

67 The members of the Security Council intend to request the Secretary-General to include policy recommendations on long-term strategy in his or her reports, if appropriate.

68 Reports of the Secretary-General will specify the date on which the document is physically and electronically distributed in addition to the date of signature by the Secretary-General.

69 The members of the Security Council request the Secretariat to update the Council towards the end of each month on the progress in the preparation of the reports of the Secretary-General to be issued the following month. The members of the Security Council also request the Secretariat to communicate with the Council immediately if it expects reports to be delayed beyond their deadlines or if reports that have not been requested by the Council are expected to be issued.

70 The members of the Security Council invite the Secretariat to continue its practice of circulating all press statements issued by the Secretary-General or by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson in connection with matters of concern to the Security Council.

72 The members of the Security Council intend to make the best use of all mechanisms available, as appropriate, to convey policy guidance to the Secretary- General, including dialogue, letters from the President, adoption of resolutions or presidential statements, or any other means deemed appropriate. The members of the Security Council express general support for continuing the practice of holding monthly “luncheons with the Secretary-General” in an informal setting to allow interactive action-oriented exchanges.

73 The members of the Security Council, through the Secretary-General, invite new Special Representatives of the Secretary-General to engage in dialogue with members of the Council before assuming their duties under new mandates, including in the field, in order to obtain Council members’ views on the objectives and the mandates.

74 The members of the Security Council reaffirm that the work of the Council is a collective endeavour and responsibility, and that enhanced cooperation and consultation among all Council members is vital for the efficient and transparent functioning of the Council.

75 The members of the Security Council also reaffirm the importance of continuing to improve intra-Council dialogue, communication and exchange of information, especially in crisis or fast-evolving situations.

76 The members of the Security Council therefore agree to continue to enhance dialogue among all Council members, in particular in crisis or fast-evolving situations, so that the Council may respond more efficiently and therefore better fulfil its responsibility of maintaining international peace and security.

77 The members of the Security Council, in this context, recognize the important role of the President of the Security Council, including in facilitating communication and exchange of information.

78 Without prejudice to the rights accorded by the Charter of the United Nations and the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council, the members of the Security Council support, where appropriate, the informal arrangement whereby one or more Council members (as “penholder(s)”) initiate and chair the informal drafting process. This informal arrangement, where appropriate, aims to facilitate timely initiatives to ensure Council action while preserving an element of continuity, with a view to enhancing the efficiency of the Council’s work.

79 Any member of the Security Council may be a penholder. Members of the Council are encouraged to act as the penholder(s) in the drafting of documents, including resolutions, presidential statements and press statements of the Council. More than one Council member may act as co-penholders, when it is deemed to add value, taking into account as appropriate the expertise and/or contributions of Council members on the subjects.

80 The members of the Security Council reaffirm that all members of the Security Council should be allowed to participate fully in the preparation of, inter alia, the resolutions, presidential statements and press statements of the Council. The members of the Security Council also reaffirm that the drafting of all documents such as resolutions and presidential statements as well as press statements should be carried out in an inclusive manner that will allow participation of all members of the Council.

81 To that end, the members of the Security Council encourage the penholder or co-penholders, as early as possible in the drafting exercise, to ensure the exchange of information among all Security Council members and to engage in timely consultations with all Council members with openness and flexibility. For each draft resolution which is not a technical rollover or for each presidential statement, the members of the Security Council encourage the penholder or co-penholders to present and discuss the draft with all members of the Security Council in at least one round of informal consultations or informal-informals.

82 The members of the Security Council also encourage the penholder or co-penholders, depending on the subject as well as the urgency of the situation on the ground, to provide a reasonably sufficient time for consideration by all Council members when draft resolutions, presidential statements and press statements of the Council are placed under a silence procedure, recognizing that any Council member may request extension of and/or break silence if further consideration is required.

83 The members of the Security Council intend to continue to informally consult in an early manner with the broader United Nations membership, in particular interested Member States, including countries directly involved or specifically affected, neighbouring States and countries with particular contributions to make, as well as with regional organizations and Groups of Friends, when drafting, inter alia, resolutions, presidential statements and press statements, as appropriate.

84 The members of the Security Council agree to consider making draft resolutions and presidential statements as well as other draft documents available as appropriate to non-members of the Council as soon as such documents are introduced within informal consultations of the whole, or earlier, if so authorized by the authors of the draft document.

85 The members of the Security Council agree that documents, including resolutions, presidential statements and press statements of the Council, should be focused, succinct and action-oriented, in principle. In this connection, each member of the Council, including and in particular the penholder or co-penholders, whenever possible, should make every effort in this direction.

86 Where appropriate, the members of the Council should ordinarily seek to avoid the need for draft resolutions or other documents to be translated over the weekend.

87 The President of the Security Council should, when so requested by the Council members, and without prejudice to his or her responsibilities as President, draw the attention of the representative(s) of the Member State(s), regional organizations and arrangements concerned to relevant statements to the press made by the President on behalf of Council members or decisions of the Council. The Secretariat should also continue to bring to the knowledge of those concerned, including non-State actors, through the relevant Special Representatives, Representatives and Envoys of the Secretary-General and United Nations Resident Coordinators, resolutions and presidential statements of the Security Council as well as statements to the press made by the President of the Council on behalf of the Council members, and ensure their promptest communication and widest possible dissemination. The Secretariat should further issue, as United Nations press releases, all written statements to the press made by the President of the Security Council on behalf of Council members, upon clearance by the President.

88 The members of the Security Council intend to intensify their efforts to publicize decisions and other relevant information of the Council to the Member States and other organizations through correspondence, websites, outreach activities and other means, when appropriate. The members of the Security Council intend to continue to examine ways to enhance its activities in this regard.

89 The members of the Security Council recall that consultations between the Security Council, the Secretariat and troop- and police-contributing countries should enhance the ability of the Council to make appropriate, effective and timely decisions in fulfilling its responsibilities.

90 The members of the Security Council reaffirm their commitment to making full use of and improving existing consultation with troop- and police-contributing countries with a view to ensuring the full consideration of the views and concerns of troop- and police-contributing countries by the Council.

91 The members of the Security Council agree that the following measures, which are complementary to those contained in its resolutions 1353 (2001) and 2086 (2013) as well as the statement by the President of the Security Council of 31 December 2015 (S/PRST/2015/26), contribute to the aim of enhancing interaction and consultation with troop- and police-contributing countries:

1. Prior to the constitution of a peacekeeping operation, the Secretariat is encouraged to make the broadest possible call for contributions to that operation. Once potential contributors have been identified, the Secretariat will provide them with all necessary information in order to facilitate their decision-making regarding participation in the operation.
2. The members of the Security Council underscore the importance of consultations with relevant troop- and police-contributing countries, including at their request, on urgent situations that affect their operations, particularly regarding the safety and security of their personnel on the ground.
3. The members of the Security Council also underscore the importance of consultation with troop- and police-contributing countries in cases of transition from a peacekeeping to a peacebuilding operation, and on major changes in an operation, such as withdrawal, scaling down of the size or termination, as well as in cases of operational challenges or developments requiring mandate adjustments.
4. The members of the Security Council emphasize the importance of consulting with troop- and police-contributing countries, including holding meetings, preferably, one week before the Security Council considers mandate renewals or modifications. The Secretariat will, pursuant to paragraph 64 above, provide the relevant troop- and police-contributing countries with a copy of the report of the Secretary-General with, as far as practicable, enough anticipation in order to allow the preparation for and the timely holding of meetings with troop- and police-contributing countries before discussion among Council members.
5. In order to further encourage substantive discussions with troop- and police-contributing countries, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1353 (2001), the members of the Security Council encourage the attendance of appropriate military and political officers from each participating mission at meetings with troop-contributing countries.
6. The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to provide sufficient time for the meetings with troop- and police- contributing countries.
7. The President of the Security Council will report to the Council on consultations with troop- and police-contributing countries with a summary of the meetings.
8. The Security Council encourages its members to continue to hold and further develop informal meetings in order to encourage more interactive and focused consultations between Council members, the Secretariat and troop- and police-contributing countries, pursuant to the statement by the President of the Security Council of 31 December 2015 (S/PRST/2015/26).
9. Recalling the functions of the Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations in accordance with the note by the President of the Security Council (S/2002/56), the members of the Security Council welcome the participation in the meetings of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations of the Secretariat, troop- and police-contributing countries and other major stakeholders, including discussions on the proposed yearly workplan of the Working Group, and encourage this practice in order to foster closer cooperation between the Council and those actors. The Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations will continue to hold regular meetings with troop-contributing countries and police- contributing countries on relevant issues.

92 The members of the Security Council intend to seek the views of Member States that are parties to a conflict and/or other interested and affected parties. For that purpose, the Security Council may, inter alia, utilize private meetings when public meetings are not appropriate, in which case invitations are also to be extended in accordance with rules 37 and 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. The Security Council, when it deems appropriate, may also utilize informal dialogues.

93 The Security Council underscores the importance of increased coordination, cooperation and interaction among the principal organs of the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Secretariat, as well as with other relevant bodies including the Peacebuilding Commission, and regional organizations, including the African Union, and reaffirms that the relationship between the principal organs of the United Nations is mutually reinforcing and complementary, in accordance with and with full respect for their respective functions, authority, powers and competencies as enshrined in the Charter.

94 The members of the Security Council intend to continue to maintain regular communication with the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council for better coordination among the principal organs of the United Nations. To that end, the members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Council to continue holding meetings with the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on a regular basis.

95 The members of the Security Council also acknowledge the importance of maintaining communication with the Peacebuilding Commission as an intergovernmental advisory body and express their intention to regularly request, deliberate and draw upon its specific, strategic and targeted advice, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1645 (2005) and 2282 (2016). The Chair of the Commission and the Chairs of country-specific configurations of the Commission will be invited, as appropriate, to participate in public Council meetings. The members of the Council encourage, in addition, informal exchanges with the Chair of the Commission and the Chairs of the country-specific configurations, as appropriate, through informal interactive dialogues.

96 In line with paragraph 170 (a) of the 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1) and Security Council resolution 1631 (2005), as well as subsequent relevant documents, the members of the Security Council agree to continue to expand consultation and cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, including by inviting relevant organizations to participate in the Council’s public and private meetings, when appropriate.

97 In this regard, the members of the Security Council acknowledge the importance of annual joint consultative meetings and informal dialogues with the members of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, to exchange views on ways to strengthen cooperation and partnership, building on the progress made. The dates, venues, agendas, modalities and outcomes will be determined through consultations between the two Councils.

98 The members of the Security Council intend to utilize “Arria-formula” meetings as a flexible and informal forum for enhancing their deliberations. To that end, members of the Security Council may invite on an informal basis any Member State, relevant organization or individual to participate in “Arria-formula” informal meetings. The members of the Security Council agree to consider using such meetings to enhance their contact with civil society and non-governmental organizations, including local non-governmental organizations suggested by United Nations field offices. The members of the Security Council encourage the introduction of such measures as lengthening lead times, defining topics that participants might address and permitting their participation by video teleconference.

99 The members of the Security Council will consider ways and means of further enhancing interaction with and seeking the views of non-Council members and bodies, particularly the interested or concerned States, on issues on its agenda, including by making more effective use, as appropriate, of public meetings, informal interactive dialogues and “Arria-formula” meetings.

100 The members of the Security Council are committed to continuing to provide opportunities to hear the views of the broader membership on the working methods of the Council, including in any open debate on the implementation of the present note, and to welcoming the continued participation by the broader membership in such debates. The Security Council expresses its intent to continue to hold an annual open debate on its working methods and affirms its commitment to continue to keep its working methods under consideration in the regular work of the Council, with a view to ensuring their effective and consistent implementation, in accordance with the statement by the President of the Security Council of 30 October 2015 (S/PRST/2015/19).

119 The members of the Security Council underline the value of Security Council missions for understanding, assessing and preventing escalation of particular conflicts or situations on the agenda of the Council. Security Council missions should be planned as early as practicable with the members of the Security Council that will be participating in the mission in a transparent, efficient and inclusive manner. Members of the Security Council will designate a member or members to coordinate a particular Security Council mission.

120 As soon as the members of the Security Council agree to conduct a particular mission, the President of the Security Council will continue to inform the Secretary-General of that decision with the intended destinations and dates, in order to request the support of the Secretariat in making all the necessary arrangements to facilitate the mission.

121 The designated member or members will draft terms of reference for the mission as early as possible in consultation with Security Council members and the Secretariat. The terms of reference should outline the dates of the mission, its purpose, the proposed agenda and the composition of the mission. The terms of reference should be issued as a Security Council document.

122 With a view to enhancing synergy and maximizing impact, the members of the Security Council agree to consider joint missions of the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union to conflict situations in Africa. The modalities of joint missions will be discussed and agreed on a case-by-case basis by the two Councils.

123 The members of the Security Council encourage Security Council missions to have a focused itinerary with a schedule of meetings which would allow meaningful exchanges at each meeting. The members of the Security Council encourage Security Council missions to continue to avoid restricting their meetings to those with governmental interlocutors and interlocutors of conflict parties and to hold, as appropriate, meetings with local civil society leaders, non-governmental organizations and other interested parties.

124 The members of the Security Council agree that Security Council missions should be followed up as appropriate. Upon the return of the mission, the designated member or members should brief the Security Council on the mission, as early as possible and preferably within one month after the return of the mission, orally and/or with a written report which should be issued as a document of the Security Council.

125 The Security Council will take the necessary action to ensure the timely submission of its report to the General Assembly in accordance with Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations.

126 The Security Council will continue with the existing practice whereby the annual report is submitted to the General Assembly in a single volume. The period of coverage for the reports shall be from 1 January to 31 December for all reports to be presented to the General Assembly at and after its seventy-second session.

127 The report shall consist of an introduction, containing an agreed concise summary prepared on behalf of the Council under the coordination of the President of the Council for the month of July. In the case of the presidency for the month of July ending its tenure on the Council that year, the task of coordinating the introduction of the report shall then devolve on the member of the Council next in English alphabetical order and who will not be leaving the Security Council that calendar year.

128 The introduction, which should not exceed 10,000 words, may contain, inter alia, a brief description of the key activities and trends, and the nature of decisions taken by the Security Council during the period covered by the report.

129 While drafting the introduction to the report, the member of the Council preparing the introduction is encouraged to consult for reference the monthly assessments described in paragraph 136 below, and may, when necessary, seek advice from other members of the Council. It may also consider organizing, where appropriate, interactive informal exchanges of views with the wider membership.

130 The introduction to the report should continue to be approved by all members of the Council who served on the Council during the reporting period. The introduction shall be completed no later than 31 January so as to allow the Secretariat enough time for translation.

131 The remainder of the report shall be prepared by the Secretariat and shall be approved by all current members of the Council and the immediate past elected members who served on the Council during the reporting period covered, and shall contain the following parts:

1. Part I shall contain a brief statistical description of the key activities relating to all questions considered by the Security Council under its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security during the period covered by the report, including a list of each of the following, with document symbols, as appropriate:
   1. All decisions, resolutions, presidential statements and official communiqués adopted by the Security Council;
   2. Meetings of the Security Council, including with troop and police-contributing countries;
   3. Meetings of subsidiary bodies, including counter-terrorism committees, sanctions committees and working groups;
   4. Reports of panels and monitoring mechanisms;
   5. Reports of Security Council missions undertaken;
   6. Peacekeeping operations established, functioning or terminated;
   7. Assistance missions and offices established, functioning or terminated;
   8. Reports of the Secretary-General submitted to the Security Council;
   9. References to the summary statements by the Secretary-General of matters of which the Security Council was seized for the period covered by the report;
   10. Notes by the President of the Security Council and other documents issued by the Security Council for the further improvement of the work of the Council;
   11. Assessment reports issued by the individual monthly presidencies of the Council on its work;
2. Part II shall contain information relating to each question considered by the Security Council during the reporting period, in at least one formal meeting, under its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security:
   1. Factual data on the number of meetings and informal consultations;
   2. A notice of all decisions, resolutions, presidential statements, and draft resolutions considered by the Council at its meetings but not adopted;
   3. A list of the peacekeeping operations and assistance missions and offices established, functioning or terminated, as appropriate;
   4. A list of the relevant panels and monitoring mechanisms and their reports, as appropriate;
   5. A list of the reports of the Secretary-General submitted to the Security Council;
   6. A list of the Security Council missions undertaken and their reports, as appropriate;
   7. All communications issued by the Council or transmitted to the Council in connection with each agenda item considered;
3. Part III shall contain an account of the other matters considered by the Security Council;
4. Part IV shall contain an account of the work of the Military Staff Committee;
5. Part V shall cover matters that were brought to the attention of the Council but not discussed at the meetings of the Council during the reporting period;
6. The members of the Security Council acknowledge that the work of the Security Council subsidiary bodies is an inseparable part of the Council’s work. Part VI of the report shall therefore contain information pertaining to the work of subsidiary bodies of the Security Council, including counter-terrorism committees, sanctions committees, working groups, and international tribunals established by the Security Council, as appropriate. This information shall be presented by means of references and hyperlinks to the separate annual reports of the subsidiary bodies of the Council.

132 The Secretariat should submit the draft report to the members of the Council no later than 15 March, immediately following the period covered by the report, so that it may be discussed and thereafter adopted by the Council in time for consideration by the General Assembly in the spring of that calendar year.

133 The Secretariat should, subject to regular review, in a timely manner and in all the official United Nations languages, prepare and post on the United Nations website information related to the Security Council activities that could have been contained in annexes to the annual report, including:

1. Activities and items relating to each question considered by the Security Council under its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security;
2. Information about the work of subsidiary bodies of the Security Council, including counter-terrorism committees, sanctions committees, working groups and international tribunals established by the Security Council, as appropriate;
3. Other information on activities relating to all questions considered by the Security Council under its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

134 The report will continue to be adopted at a public meeting of the Security Council, at which members of the Council who wish to do so may comment on the work of the Council for the period covered by the report. The President of the Council for the month in which the report is presented to the General Assembly will also make reference to the verbatim record of the Council’s discussion prior to its adoption of the annual report.

135 The Secretariat should post the current annual report of the Security Council on the United Nations website. The relevant web page should be updated to provide the information as necessitated under future notes issued by the President of the Security Council with respect to the annual report.

136 The members of the Security Council recognize the value of a monthly assessment of each presidency in providing as much information as possible on the main aspects of the work of the Council during that month, which can be useful in the preparation of the annual report. Each presidency is encouraged to prepare its monthly assessment soon after the end of the presidency in a timely manner and to include a concise summary in its monthly assessment.

137 If appropriate, the President of the Security Council will continue the practice of not scheduling meetings or informal consultations of the Council on the first day of the debate on the report in the General Assembly.

138 The members of the Security Council encourage the President of the Security Council in charge of the presentation of the report to the General Assembly to report to Council members on relevant suggestions and observations raised during the General Assembly debate on the annual report.

139 The members of the Security Council encourage continuing efforts to ensure the inclusion in the annual report of more substantive information on the Council’s work. The Secretariat is encouraged to advise, at least once a year, the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions on the preparation of the draft annual report, including ways to improve its structure in a cost-efficient way and to take into account the publication of relevant information on the United Nations website. The members of the Security Council will continue their consideration of other suggestions concerning improvements to the annual report and related activities.

140 The Security Council invites the newly elected members of the Council to observe all meetings of the Council and its subsidiary bodies and the informal consultations of the whole for a period of three months, as from 1 October immediately preceding their term of membership.

The Council also invites the Secretariat to provide all relevant communications of the Council to the newly elected members during the above-mentioned period.

141 Notwithstanding the foregoing measure, the Security Council will not invite the newly elected members to a specific private meeting of the Council or to specific informal consultations of the whole if a request to that effect is made by a member of the Council where exceptional circumstances exist. The newly elected members will not be invited to the meetings of the Council or the informal consultations of the whole related to the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. The newly elected members may be invited to the monthly luncheon with the Secretary-General held in December immediately preceding their term of membership, at the discretion of the President of the Council for that month.

142 The Security Council invites the Secretariat to continue to take appropriate measures to familiarize the newly elected members with the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, including by providing briefing materials and holding seminars before they begin to attend Council meetings.