It conveys the Council's general views on an issue. Informal consultations are the forum in which most Council business is done. Attendance is restricted to Council members only. All Council decisions are officially adopted, whether by consensus or by vote, during formal meetings. The SC eschews formal meetings on controversial issues, preferring the closed, more confidential environment of informal consultations.
Formal meetings are thus largely ratification sessions for decisions previously reached.
Formal meetings are open to non-Council members. The presidency of the SC rotates monthly on the basis of English alphabetical succession. The president is responsible for managing the Council's workload for the month. A veto occurs when any one or more of the P-5 cast a negative vote. If a member of the P-5 abstains from voting, this does not constitute a veto.