This Handbook, developed by the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, is designed both for insiders as well as the public at large. It contains an introduction which places the Security Council in the larger context of the United Nations and how it operates. It is followed by practical information of the Security Council agenda, briefings, meetings, programme of work, membership, etc., as well as by the articles of the UN Charter related to the work of the Security Council, its Provisional Rules of Procedure, and other documents. It also includes a glossary of terms related to the Security Council.