Arria formula meeting

An "Arria formula" meeting is an informal meeting of members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which must be convened by a member of the UNSC in order for the meeting to take place.

Although derived from the formal meetings of the UNSC, the Arria formula distinguishes itself from typical UNSC meetings due to its informal nature, which allows Arria formula meetings to have no obligations to meet the official requirements of typical UNSC meetings. This means that while regular meetings of the Security Council require the presence of all 15 members of the council, follow a formal structure, and do not hear testimonies from non-members, individuals or non-governmental organisations, Arria formula meetings allow individuals, organisations, non-state actors and high delegations (from member states of the UN not represented on the Security Council) to engage in direct dialogue with UNSC members in a legitimate and confidential setting.

Arria formula meetings are presided over by a member of the UNSC, who acts as a facilitator of discussion, rather than the President of the Security Council. Sometimes, the meetings are also held in collaboration with states not on the council who think it would be beneficial to hear from specific individuals, organisations or institutions.