UN Security Council Documentation

The Security Council report to the General Assembly every year, in accordance with Article 24 of the UN Charter, is issued as Supplement 2 to the General Assembly Official Records (GAOR).

• symbol pattern: A/session/2
• example:  A/71/2

Provides an overview of all actions taken by the Security Council:

• on procedural matters
• on regional-, country-, or subject-specific topics
• includes citation to key resolutions related to peacekeeping
• covers the period 1 August - 31 July.

Note: The report presented at the 71st session will cover the period 1 August 2015 to 31 December 2016. Thereafter, the period of coverage for the reports of the Security Council to the General Assembly shall be from 1 January to 31 December. 

The Secretary-General reports to the Security Council on peace and security topics, including:

• Peacekeeping and political missions
• Regional security issues
• Thematic topics, such as women, peace and security, rule of law, etc.

All reports for the Security Council have document symbols that begin with S/--.

There are several subsidiary bodies of the Security Council that work on particular topics, such as sanctions, cross-cutting issues, and procedural matters. 

Some examples are:

• Peacebuilding Commission (also a subsidiary of the General Assembly)
• Sanctions committees, usually referred to by the resolution number that established them
  • example: 1267 Committee, or the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da'esh) Al-Qaida and associated individuals groups undertakings and entities 
• Counter-Terrorism Committee
• Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), also called the Non-Proliferation Committee or 1540 Committee
• Security Council Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions

Reports of subsidiary bodies of the Security Council are issued as documents of the Security Council and may be transmitted by a letter from the chair of the body to the president of the Security Council.

• symbol pattern: S/year/--
• example: S/2012/305
• some may also be documents of the General Assembly, with dual symbols
• example: A/66/675-S/2012/70