Security Council Report (SCR) was established in 2005 as an independent think tank with a mission to advance the transparency, effectiveness, and accountability of the UN Security Council. This objective is based on the assumption that better informed government and civil society members, and more transparent decision-making processes will lead to better Council outcomes. It is also in keeping with the outcome document of the 2005 World Summit held at UN Headquarters, in which world leaders recommended that the Security Council “continue to adapt its working methods so as to increase the involvement of States not members of the Council in its work, as appropriate, enhance its accountability to the membership and increase the transparency of its work.” To that end, SCR makes accurate information and impartial analysis widely available and accessible, provides capacity-building training for elected members of the Council, and hosts and contributes to forums for discussion on the Council’s work. SCR does not take positions on the Council’s substantive agenda items.
• SCR’s publications provide in-depth analysis of the issues on the Security Council’s agenda and of its procedures and practice. They are available free of charge on SCR’s website and by signing up for email updates.
• The Monthly Forecast, published online on the first day of the month, includes detailed briefs that provide projections on issues on the Security Council’s program of work for the month ahead. These briefs describe expected Council action for the month, recent developments and key issues on the file, options for Council action, and the prevailing dynamics among Council members and beyond.
• What’s in Blue (WiB) is an online publication that provides analysis of the latest developments in the Security Council on a near-daily basis. WiB offers insights on upcoming Security Council meetings, votes on draft resolutions and the status of negotiations, as well as on the activities of Council subsidiary bodies and on Council visiting missions that SCR accompanies. It has become an indispensable resource for all those who need to follow the Council’s day-to-day work. Even Council ambassadors and their teams often start their day by reading WiB.
• SCR’s research reports provide comprehensive analysis of selected issues of particular relevance to the Security Council, typically giving a historical overview, assessing previous Council involvement and framing options for future action. Recent research reports have detailed transitions of UN peacekeeping operations, the financing of African Union (AU)-led peace support operations, and the Security Council’s engagement on climate change, peace and security. Additionally, SCR produces a report ahead of the annual elections for five of the ten non-permanent seats of the Security Council.
SCR’s publications draw on wide-ranging sources, including media articles and reporting by UN peace operations and UN agencies. The key resource in SCR’s work is the trusting relationship forged with diplomats at permanent missions, UN Secretariat officials, civil society, non-governmental organizations, and academia. SCR is committed to protecting the confidentiality of its sources and to the highest levels of accuracy and neutrality.
Between COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the recent severe escalation in the Middle East, and pushback against UN peacekeeping in Africa, there has been a lack of unity in the Security Council not seen since the Cold War. Against the backdrop of this growing turmoil in the multilateral environment, SCR’s analysis of Council dynamics and potential courses of action to advance the Security Council’s work has become more pertinent than ever.
