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 COUNCIL

These 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. 4227th 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
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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
    

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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    

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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 communiqu