GLOSSARY OF MEETINGS OF
THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL

As a master of its own procedures, the UN Security Council has developed different formats of meetings to achieve different purposes and to suit a variety of situations. While there had been attempts in the past to define and codify the types of meetings employed by the Security Council, consensus on the need to give definition to these meetings had proved elusive. The following is nevertheless a guide on the principal types of meetings of the Security Council, which was prepared under our own responsibility. It is hoped that this glossary would shed some light on this aspect of the working method of the Security Council.

MEETINGS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCILThese are meetings of the UN Security Council envisaged under Chapter I and Chapter IX of the Provisional Rules of Procedure of the UN Security Council. All these meetings are assigned a meeting number e.g. 4227^th Meeting of the UN Security Council. A summary of the meeting is also posted in the UN Journal of the next day. The Provisional Rules of Procedure of the Security Council envisages two types of meetings; (a) Public Meetings; and (b) Private Meetings. (Please see Chapter IX of the provisional Rules.) Set out below are some appellations that have come to be used in the Security Council over the years.
(A) PUBLIC MEETINGS
Formal Meeting	-	Purpose: A formal meeting is held when the Council wishes to vote on a draft resolution or adopt a presidential statement, which has been agreed upon during informal consultations. Involvement: The meeting is open to all to observe, but only Council members are permitted to vote or make statements.
Open Debate	-	Purpose: This format provides an opportunity for non-Council members to address the Council on UNSC issues. Another version of the open debate is a.k.a. the "orientation debate". The same modality is employed, except that orientation debates are held to allow the Council to get the views of non-Council members on how to deal with specific issues before the Council proceeds to take action. Chair: UNSC President Involvement: All non-Council members, representatives of regional organisations and other international bodies are permitted to attend as observers and participate in the debate without a right to vote under Rules 37 or 39 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure. The Council nevertheless reserves the right to accede or not to accede any request of non-Council members to participate in the debate under Rules 37 or 39. Members of the media and the public are also allowed to witness the proceedings.
Open Briefing		Purpose: This modality is used when the Council wishes to obtain a briefing from senior officials of the UN Secretariat (including Personal Envoy, Special Representatives or Special Envoys of the UNSG) or heads of UN agencies on developments relating to particular UNSC issues. Chair: UNSC President Involvement: Participation is restricted to the members of the Council and the senior official of the UN Secretariat or an appointment-holder of the UNSG, who will conduct the briefing.
Open Meeting		Purpose: This format is used to allow the Council to conduct its debate on particular issues in public. Chair: UNSC President Involvement: While non-Council members, the media and public are allowed to attend and observe the proceedings, participation in the debate is restricted to members of the Council and representatives of countries that are directly affected by the subject of the discussion. If the Council deems it necessary, it may also invite representatives of UN agencies and other international organisations to participate in the meeting.
(B) PRIVATE MEETINGS
Private (Closed) Meeting	-	Purpose: This modality was originally limited to the deliberation of the Council over the appointment of a Secretary-General, as prescribed under Rule 48 of the Provisional Rules. However, in the period before informal consultations became an accepted working method of the Council, the private (closed) meeting format was used to enable the Council to discuss issues and engage parties involved in a dispute or situation or interested in any particular matter in a candid discussion away from the glare of immediate publicity. Chair: UNSC President Involvement: Restricted only to UNSC members, Secretariat officials and parties invited by the UNSC. Countries, whose interests are also directly affected by the issue, can apply to attend the meeting, but their attendance is subject to the approval of the UNSC. Venue: UNSC Chamber Records: A communiqué is normally issued at the conclusion of a private meeting, but the Council may also decide that public verbatim records of the discussion be prepared and circulated to non-members in addition to the communiqué. Publicity: Notice of the meeting is posted in the UN Journal.
Private (Open) Meeting	-	Purpose: This meeting is open to non-members of the Council to witness, to enhance the level of transparency of the work of the Council. Chair: UNSC President Involvement: Participation is limited to Council members and countries and persons with whom the Council wishes to exchange views with. However, non-Council members are permitted to attend as observers. The media and public are nevertheless not admitted. Venue: UNSC Chamber Records: A communiqué and, if the Council so decides, a public verbatim record of the meeting would be issued. Publicity: Notice of the meeting is posted in the UN Journal.
INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS AND MEETINGS These are meetings in formats not envisaged in the Provisional Rules of UN Security Council Meeting, but are used by the Council to facilitate its work.
Consultations of the Whole (Closed) (a.k.a. "Informal Consultations ").	-	Purpose: This is the principal modality used by the Council to conduct its business away from the glare of the public. During such meetings, the business of the Council can include reviewing the latest developments in respect of an issue that is on its agenda, receive briefings from the UN Secretariat, discuss action of the Council in response to specific developments and discuss (and form consensus on) the terms of draft resolution/presidential statement/ press statement. Chair: UNSC President Involvement: Informal consultations are restricted to Council members and the relevant officials of the UN Secretariat. Venue: The meetings are held in the Consultation Room outside the UN Security Council Chamber. Records: No official record of the meetings will be taken. Publicity: Notice of the meetings is posted in the UN Journal. The Journal would also contain notice that the President will give a briefing at the end of the closed session to interested members of the UN. Briefings: The President normally briefs non-Council members on the consultations at the end of the meeting. The President also makes a statement to the press on issues discussed by the Council.
Arria Formula Meetings	-	Purpose: This is a meeting of the members of the Council rather than a meeting of the Security Council. It allows Council members to hear the views of representatives of non-Council members, representatives of non-state parties and NGOs in an informal and confidential setting. Chair: Any other member of the Council can chair the meeting. (The choice of the Chair is made through informal consultations conducted by the President.) Involvement: These meetings are restricted to members of the Council and representatives of actors/parties with whom the Council wishes to exchange views or whose views the Council seeks. Venue: Usually the meeting is held at one of the Conference Rooms in the UN (usually Conference Room 5, 6 or 7). Records: No official records of the meetings will be taken. Publicity: The meeting will not be publicised in the UN Journal.
Meeting of Members of the Council	-	Purpose: Like the Arria meeting, this meeting is not a meeting of the Council but a meeting of members of the Council. The modality is used to enable the Council members to hear the views and representations of dignitaries from outside of the Council. The format was used when the members of the Council met the Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Mr Jesse Helms in January 2000. Chair: UNSC President Involvement: Non-Council members are allowed to attend as observers. But only members of the Council can make statements or interventions. There is also no official representative of the Secretariat who would attend the meeting. Venue: UNSC Chamber. However, the country plaques are removed to emphasise the fact that it is not an official meeting of the Council. Record: No official records are taken. Publicity: Although notice of the meeting is not posted in the UN Journal, the member proposing the meeting is charged with informing the public about the meeting.