RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE-RELATED LEGAL DOCUMENTS

On the Russian Federation Security Council

Presidential Edict No. 1024
10 July 1996

In accordance with Point "g" of Article 83 of the Russian Federation Constitution and the Russian Federation law "On Security," I rule that:

1. The attached Statute on the Russian Federation Security Council and the structure of the Russian Federation Security Council apparatus are to be approved.

2. The Russian Federation Security Council secretary is to submit:

proposals on the composition of the Russian Federation Security Council;
proposals on the organization of the Russian Federation Security Council's activities and its work schedule for the second half of 1996;
a draft statute on the Russian Federation Security Council apparatus;
proposals on the number and composition of Russian Federation Security Council interdepartmental commissions;
proposals on providing for the activities of the Russian Federation Security Council, its interdepartmental commissions, and the academic council under the Russian Federation Security Council;
proposals on bringing edicts and directives of the Russian Federation president into line with this edict.

3. This edict comes into force the day it is signed.

[Signed] Russian Federation President B. Yeltsin
[Dated] The Kremlin, Moscow, 10 July 1996

Statute on the
Russian Federation Security Council

I. General Provisions

1. The Russian Federation Security Council (hereinafter Security Council) is a constitutional organ that prepares the Russian Federation president's decisions on questions of ensuring the protection of vitally important interests of the individual, society, and the state against internal and external threats and conducting a unified state policy in the sphere of safeguarding security.

2. The Security Council is formed by the Russian Federation president in accordance with the Russian Federation Constitution and Russian Federation law "On Security."

3. The legal foundation for the Security Council's activities is the Russian Federation Constitution, federal laws, Russian Federation international treaties on security matters, edicts and directives of the Russian Federation president, and also this Statute.

4. The Security Council is the organ that provides conditions for the Russian Federation president to exercise his constitutional powers to protect human and civil rights and the sovereignty of the Russian Federation and its independence and state integrity.

II. Security Council's Tasks

5. The Security Council's main tasks are to:

determine the vitally important interests of society and the state and identify internal and external threats to security;

elaborate the main areas of the strategy for safeguarding the security of the Russian Federation and organize the preparation of federal targeted programs to ensure it;

prepare recommendations for the Russian Federation president on decisions on matters of Russian Federation domestic and foreign policy in the sphere of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and state;

prepare timely decisions on preventing emergency situations that might lead to significant sociopolitical, economic, military, ecological, and other consequences and on organizing their elimination;

prepare proposals for the Russian Federation president on the introduction, extension, or lifting of a state of emergency;

devise proposals on coordinating the activities of federal; organs of executive power and organs of executive power in the Russian Federation components in the process of implementing decisions made in the sphere of safeguarding security and assess their effectiveness;

improve the system for safeguarding security by elaborating proposals on reforming existing or creating new organs safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state.

III. Security Council's Functions

6. The Security Council's main functions are to:

examine matters of Russian Federation domestic, foreign, and military policy in the sphere of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state, the country's defense capability, military-technical cooperation, the solution of strategic problems of state, economic, social, defense, ecological, and other types of security, forecasting of emergency situations, and adoption of measures to prevent them and eliminate their consequences;

prepare Russian Federation presidential decisions on matters of domestic, foreign, and military policy in the sphere of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state, the country's defense capability, military-technical cooperation, introduction of economic sanctions, information development, and elaboration of a strategy to safeguard and measures to protect the Russian Federation's independence and state integrity;

examine draft laws on matters of domestic, foreign, and military policy in the sphere of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state, the country's defense capability, military technical cooperation, the introduction of economic sanctions, the elaboration of a strategy to safeguard and measures to protect the Russian Federation's independence and state integrity, and the presentation of recommendations on them to the Russian Federation president;

prepare draft edicts of the Russian Federation president on matters of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state, the country's defense capability, military-technical cooperation, development of global information systems, and monitoring of the activities of federal organs of executive power ensuring security; organize and coordinate the elaboration of strategy in the sphere of domestic, foreign, and military policy, military-technical cooperation, and the Russian Federation's information security, assessment of internal and external threats to vitally important security interests, and identification of their sources;

monitor the implementation by federal organs of executive power and organs of executive power of the Russian Federation components of strategy in the sphere of domestic, foreign, and military policy, military-technical cooperation, and the Russian Federation's information security;

examine questions of creating, supervising, and maintaining the readiness and activities of forces and means of safeguarding security;

examine and assess information on the state of Russian Federation security and factors threatening it;

accumulate, analyze, and process information on the functioning of the system for safeguarding the Russian Federation's security, elaborate recommendations on its improvement, organize the elaboration of federal programs in the sphere of safeguarding security, and also assess their effectiveness;

organize the preparation of federal targeted programs for safeguarding security and monitoring of their implementation;

organize scientific research in the sphere of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state;

solve other tasks in the sphere of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state in accordance with Russian Federation legislation and the decisions of the Russian Federation president.

IV. Composition of the Security Council and Procedure for Forming It

7. The Security Council is formed in accordance with the Russian Federation Constitution and Russian Federation legislation.

Permanent members and members of the Security Council are appointed by the Russian Federation president at the suggestion of the Russian Federation Security Council secretary (hereinafter Security Council secretary).

V. Procedure for the Security Council's Work

8. The Security Council's work is directed by the chairman of the Russian Federation Security Council (hereinafter Security Council chairman). The Security Council's work is carried out in accordance with schedules approved by the Security Council chairman.

9. Security Council sessions are held on a regular basis, at least once a month. If necessary, extraordinary sessions of the Security Council can be held. The agenda and procedure for examining questions at the session are determined by the Security Council chairman at the suggestion of the Security Council secretary. Security Council sessions are chaired by the Security Council chairman.

The Security Council secretary holds working conferences with members of the Security Council.

10. Permanent members and members of the Security Council must attend Security Council sessions. Permanent members and members of the Security Council are not allowed to delegate their powers on the Security Council to other officials.

11. Security Council decisions are made at a session by permanent members of the Security Council by a simple majority of the total number and enter into effect once they have been approved by the Security Council chairman. Security Council decisions on very important matters are formalized by edicts of the Russian Federation president and other decisions by protocols.

Draft edicts of the Russian Federation president submitted to the Security Council are given a preliminary examination at a session of Security Council members directed by the Security Council chairman. Security Council members have equal rights when it comes to decisionmaking. Depending on the content of the matter under scrutiny the Security Council can bring in other people to attend the sessions as consultants.

13. The Security Council secretary organizes the sessions and ensures that draft decisions are prepared.

VI. Security Council Secretary's Powers

14. The Security Council secretary is a Russian Federation official and is directly subordinate to the Russian Federation president. The Security Council secretary is appointed and dismissed by the Russian Federation president.

15. The Security Council secretary ensures the activities of the Security Council and is in charge of its apparatus. The Security Council secretary:

keeps the Russian Federation president informed about problems of the country's internal and external security, defense capability, military-technical cooperation, and development of global information systems;

consolidates and submits to the Security Council analytical surveys of information on the state of Russian Federation security;

prepares the Security Council's work schedule and creates the agenda for Security Council sessions;

coordinates the work of interdepartmental commissions of the Security Council, the academic council under the Security Council, and federal organs of executive power and organs of executive power of the Russian Federation components on the preparation of requisite materials for Security Council sessions;

prepares draft decisions of the Security Council;

organizes the elaboration of conceptual approaches to the shaping of strategy in the sphere of safeguarding the Russian Federation's security and proposals for the Russian Federation president's annual messages to the Russian Federation Federal Assembly on the state of the nation and on the main spheres of state domestic and foreign policy;

presents for approval by the Russian Federation president Security Council decisions and draft normative legal acts on their implementation;

monitors the implementation of Security Council decisions and checks the documents connected with the work of federal organs of executive power on safeguarding security;

coordinates work on elaborating and implementing federal targeted programs for safeguarding the security of the Russian Federation in the manner laid down by the Russian Federation president;

submits proposals to the Security Council on coordinating the activities of security forces in connection with emergencies;

represents the Russian Federation president's interests on matters of security in federal organs of state power and organs of state power in Russian Federation components; submits to the Security Council proposals on the creation, functions, and composition of interdepartmental commissions of the Security Council and academic council under the Security Council;

organizes and coordinates the activities of interdepartmental commissions of the Security Council and academic council under the Security Council;

submits on behalf of the Russian Federation president to the Russian Federation president and the Security Council information on candidates recommended for appointment to top state posts;

organizes appraisals of draft decisions on security questions by federal organs of state power and organs of state power in Russian Federation components and the preparation and submission of their feasibility reports and findings for examination at Security Council sessions;

asks federal organs of executive power and organs of executive power in the Russian Federation components, institutions and organizations, and officials to supply the information, documents, and materials necessary for the Security Council and its apparatus to perform their activities;

brings in state and nonstate organizations, institutions and individual academics, and also individual experts to carry out research and expert studies;

presents to the Russian Federation president candidates for appointment to Security Council deputy secretary posts;

submits to the Russian Federation president proposals on the dismissals of Security Council deputy secretaries;

appoints and dismisses personnel of the Security Council apparatus, except for Security Council deputy secretaries;

explains decisions made by the Security Council on safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state;

implements and organizes the implementation of instructions from the Russian Federation president and Security Council relating to the sphere of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state;

for the exercise of his powers issues orders and directives on the Security Council apparatus.

16. The Security Council secretary organizes collaboration between the Security Council apparatus and components of the Russian Federation Presidential Staff, Russian Federation Federal Assembly Federation Council Apparatus, Russian Federation Federal Assembly State Duma Apparatus, Russian Federation Government Apparatus, heads of federal organs of executive power and organs of executive power in the Russian Federation components, functional and regional associations and societies, representatives of labor collectives and business circles, political parties, and public and religious associations on questions which lie within the Security Council's terms of reference.

17. The Security Council secretary is personally responsible for ensuring the Security Council's activities and for the implementation of its decisions.

VII. Security Council Interdepartmental Commissions

18. The Security Council forms interdepartmental commissions in accordance with the main tasks and spheres of its activities. Security Council interdepartmental commissions are the Security Council's basic working organs. Depending on the tasks they are given, they can be set up on a functional or regional basis and as permanent or temporary commissions.

19. The Security Council decides on the creation, functions, and composition of interdepartmental commissions at the suggestion of the Security Council secretary. The Security Council, decides whether permanent and temporary interdepartmental commissions will be headed by members of the Security Council or people authorized by the Russian Federation president.

20. Permanent Security Council interdepartmental commissions prepare proposals and recommendations for the Security Council on the main areas of state policy in the sphere of safeguarding the security of the individual, society, and the state and help coordinate the activities of federal organs of executive power and organs of executive power in Russian Federation components on the implementation of federal targeted programs and Security Council decisions.

21. The Security Council can set up temporary interdepartmental commissions if there is a need for proposals to be elaborated on preventing emergency situations and eliminating their consequences, on individual problems to do with ensuring stability and law and order in society and the state, and on the protection of the constitutional system and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.

22. Security Council interdepartmental commissions operate in accordance with the regulations on them approved by the Russian Federation president at the suggestion of the Security Council secretary and are entitled to submit to the Security Council for its examination any question that falls within their terms of reference.

23. Information analysis and technical organization backup for the activities of Security Council interdepartmental commissions are provided by federal organs of executive power, which have representatives working on these commissions, and also by the Security Council apparatus.

24. In their work Security Council permanent and temporary interdepartmental commissions will collaborate with the Security Council apparatus.

VIII. Ensuring Security Council Activities

25. The Security Council's activities are ensured by the Security Council apparatus. The structure and establishment of the Security Council apparatus and also the statute on it are approved by the Russian Federation president at the suggestion of the Security Council secretary.

26. By decision of the Security Council secretary, within the limits laid down by the Security Council chairman, a number of senior officials in the Security Council apparatus can be replaced by assigning servicemen and personnel of Russian Federation internal affairs organs (federal organs of the tax police) to it.

27. Funding of activities to safeguard the security of the Russian Federation is carried out in accordance with the federal law. Security Council activities are financed by targeted federal budget funds. Security Council apparatus activities are financed in accordance with the statute on the Security Council apparatus.