From time to time, we see or read in the news that a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation has taken place. However, more often than not, we don’t think about what kind of organ it is or what its functions are. Therefore, we suggest that today we examine in more detail what constitutes the Security Council of the Russian Federation. We also learn about the history of its creation, powers and areas of activity.
What is the Security Council of the Russian Federation?
The Security Council of the Russian Federation (or in abbreviated form the Security Council of the Russian Federation) is an advisory body dealing with the solution of national security issues in our country. The Security Council of the Russian Federation is working on the preparation of decisions by our president regarding issues of ensuring all interests, which are vital both to the individual and society, and to the state as a whole, from threats of an external and internal nature. All decisions of the Security Council are made by its permanent members during meetings by a majority of votes. They come into force after approval by their president. Security Council meetings are held regularly. However, in the event of an emergency, the chairman of the Council may convene an emergency meeting of the permanent members of the Security Council.
Functions of the Security Council of the Russian Federation
The list of the main tasks of the Security Council of the Russian Federation includes the following items:
- Ensuring the preparation of reports and informing the president of our country on issues related to ensuring public, economic, state, information, defense, environmental and other safety, and protecting the health of Russian citizens.
- Making decisions designed to protect the constitutional system, sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of our country.
- In addition, the Security Council of the Russian Federation organizes defense, defense production and construction, and also deals with issues of cooperation in the military field of our state with other countries, both near and far abroad.
- Organization of assistance to the President of Russia in matters of state military policy.
- The Security Council of the Russian Federation is addressing issues related to both the introduction and the lifting of a state of emergency or martial law.
- In addition, the functions of the Security Council of the Russian Federation include solving problems aimed at preventing and eliminating emergency situations and reducing their consequences.
Composition of the Security Council of the Russian Federation
Today, the following key political figures of the country are permanent members of this important state body of Russia: Sergey Shoigu (Minister of Defense), Mikhail Fradkov (Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service), Rashid Nurgaliev (Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation), Dmitry Medvedev (former President of the Russian Federation and now the chairman of the government), Valentina Matvienko (head of the Council of the Federation of Russia), Sergey Lavrov and Vladimir Kolokoltsev (ministers of foreign and internal affairs, respectively), Sergey Ivanov (head of the presidential administration radio), Boris Gryzlov , and Alexander Bortnikov (directors of the FSB of Russia). In addition, this body, of course, includes the chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation - the president of our country Vladimir Putin, as well as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev and the first deputy. Security Council Chairman Yuri Averyanov.
The structure of the Security Council of Russia
The Security Council of the Russian Federation is an independent unit of the Presidential Administration and is under the direct control of the head of state. In accordance with the tasks assigned to this body, the Security Council of the Russian Federation is divided into several main working bodies - interdepartmental commissions, which can function both permanently and temporarily. In addition, a scientific council was created under the Security Council to resolve scientific issues. So, we found out that the Security Council includes an apparatus, a number of interdepartmental commissions and a scientific council. We suggest learning more about these components.
Security Council of the Russian Federation
In accordance with the Decree of the President of Russia dated June 7, 2004, ten units were identified as structural units of the Security Council apparatus. In addition to departments, the apparatus includes the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (currently it is Nikolai Patrushev), as well as his deputies and assistants.
Interdepartmental commissions of the Security Council of the Russian Federation
The main provisions on the creation of interagency commissions of the Security Council were adopted by Presidential Decree in 2005. In 2011, new add-on applications were developed. Today, under the Security Council of the Russian Federation, interdepartmental commissions operate in the following areas:
- security in the social and economic sphere;
- military security ;
- public safety;
- problems of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS);
- Information Security;
- issues of strategic planning;
- environmental Safety.
Scientific Council under the Security Council of the Russian Federation
This body includes representatives of both the Russian Academy of Sciences and sectoral academies of sciences with state status, as well as representatives of various scientific organizations and individual specialists in a particular field. Functions of the Scientific Council at the Security Council of the Russian Federation:
- examination and subsequent assessment of information related to the state of national security of our country;
- examination and assessment of data on threats to national security;
- participation in the preparation of analytical and forecast information for meetings of the Security Council.
All decisions of this body are advisory in nature.
History of the Security Council of the Russian Federation
The Security Council of Russia was established simultaneously with the post of president of the RSFSR in 1991. From August to December 1991, this body was called the Security Council of the RSFSR, then until 1992 it was called the Council for Federation and Territory Affairs. From the third of April 1992, he received his current name.
The formation of this body and its activities throughout the existence of our country as an independent state are inextricably linked with the main milestones of the democratic transformations that have occurred in the public life of Russia in recent decades, as well as the development and strengthening of statehood and the economy, and the formation of civil society.
The political role of the Security Council of the Russian Federation was also different. So, during the constitutional crisis and the confrontation between the first president of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin, and the Supreme Council of the Security Council, it was mainly a body serving to coordinate the power departments and their consolidation around the head of state. So, until the fall of 1993, permanent members of the Council were members of it according to their position. Subsequently, the president took over the functions of forming the composition of the Security Council, which in fact made him an advisory body to the head of state.