Subsidiary Organs: Overview
Under Article 29 of the Charter of the United Nations, the Security Council “may establish such subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions”. Over the years the Security Council has created a wide variety of organs to address issues relating both to the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as to its own working methods and procedures.
Up until 1988, each Supplement to the Repertoire includes a detailed summary of both Council discussions and decisions with regard to subsidiary bodies established during the period covered. Subsidiary organs are categorized under two subheadings of: “Involving, to facilitate their work, meetings at places away from the seat of the Organization”, which included missions and field offices, and “Not involving, to facilitate their work, meetings at places away from the seat of the Organization”, which includes committees and working groups among others.
From the eleventh (1989-1992) to the fifteenth (2004-2007) Supllements, while al subsidiary organs were still grouped in a single chapter (Chapter 5), the coverage was limited to decisions only.
From the sixteenth Supplement (2008-2009) onwards, the subsidiary organs of the Council are covered in two different parts of the Repertoire. Part IX deals with the procedures of the Council relating to committees, working groups, investigative bodies and tribunals, ad hoc commissions, special envoys, representatives and coordinators, and the Peacebuilding Commission established for the performance of its functions under the Charter of the United Nations. Part X features field-based missions, including peacekeeping and political missions.
Comprehensive proceedings coverage from the eleventh (1989-1992) Supplement onward is provided in Chapter VIII / Part I (Agenda items) of the Repertoire.