Chapter V: The Federation Council
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Article 23 Composition:
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1. The Federation Council shall consist of eleven (11) members of the United Federation. The Earth Confederation, the Romulan Sovereignty, the Q'tami Union, the Ferengi Alliance, and the Derlan Coalition shall be permanent members of the Federation Council. The Supreme Assembly shall elect six (6) other members of the United Federation to be non-permanent members of the Federation Council, due regard being especially paid, in the first instance, to the contribution of the members to the United Federation to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security and to the other purposes of the Federation, and also to equitable geo-galactic distribution; |
| 2. The non-permanent members of the Federation Council shall be elected for a term of two (2) session periods. In the first election of non-permanent members, however, three (3) shall be elected for a term of one (1) session period. A retiring member shall not be eligible for immediate re-election; | |
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Article 24 Functions and Powers:
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1. In order to assure prompt and effective action by the United Federation of Planets, its members confer on the Federation Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Federation Council acts on their behalf; |
| 2. In discharging these duties the Federation Council shall act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Federation. The specific powers granted to the Federation Council for the discharge of these duties are laid down in Chapters VI, VII, VIII, and XII; | |
| 3. The Federation Council shall submit regular and, when necessary, special reports to the Supreme Assembly for its consideration; | |
| Article 25: | The members of the United Federation agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Federation Council in accordance with these articles of Federation; |
| Article 26: | In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of interplanetary peace and security with the least diversion of the Federation's life-forms, and economic resources for armaments, the Federation Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the assistance of Starfleet Headquarters staff referred to in Article 47, plans to be submitted to the members of the United Federation for the establishment of a system for the regulation of armaments; |
| Article 27 Voting: | 1. Each member of the Federation Council shall have one (1) vote; |
| 2. Decisions of the Federation Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of seven (7) members; | |
| 3. Decisions of the Federation Council on all other matters shall be made on an affirmative vote of seven (7) members including the concurring votes of the permanent members, provided that, in decisions under Chapter VI, and under Paragraph 3 of Article 52, a party to the dispute shall refrain from voting; | |
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Article 28 Procedure:
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1. The Federation Council shall be so organized as to be able to function continuously. Each member of the Federation Council shall, for this purpose, be represented at all times at the seat of the Federation; |
| 2. The Federation Council shall hold periodic meetings at which each of its members may, if it so desires, be represented by a member of its government or by some other specially designated representative; | |
| 3. The Federation Council may hold meetings at such places other than the seat of the Federation as in its judgment will facilitate its work; | |
| Article 29: | The Federation Council may establish such subsidiary agencies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions; |
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Article 30:
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The Federation Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its governor; |
| Article 31: | Any member of the United Federation which is not a member of the Federation council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Federation Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of the member are specifically affected; |
| Article 32: | Any member of the United Federation which is not a member of the Federation council or any planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets, if it is a party to a dispute under consideration by the Federation Council, shall be invited to participate, without vote, in the discussion relating to the dispute. The Federation Council shall lay down the conditions as it deems just for the participation of a planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets |