When a group reaches consensus it means that all of the members agree but they usually?

Multilateral diplomacy is at times complicated. Getting tens or hundreds of Member States to agree on a text can be challenging. Over time, various ways of coming to agreement have emerged in the practice of the UN organs. Some of the ways resolutions and decisions may be adopted include:

• by vote, or
• without a vote, or
• by consensus.

When a vote is taken and all Member States vote the same way, the decision is unanimous. When a decision is taken by consensus, no formal vote is taken. A 2005 Legal Opinion distinguishes consensus as follows: consensus “is understood as the absence of objection rather than a particular majority” (UN Juridical Yearbook 2005, page 457). Resolutions and decisions adopted by consensus are considered as “adopted without a vote”, although they are distinct from decisions made under the without-a-vote procedure. 

“The concept of ‘adoption without a vote’ is very close to consensus, and the distinction between the two methods is often blurred. For this method, the President asks the Assembly if it wishes to adopt a draft resolution or decision, and if no representative objects he/she declares ‘it is so decided’.” (Oppenheim’s International Law: United Nations)

General Assembly

Although the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly (A/520/Rev.20) do not mention decision-making by consensus, “it is the long-established practice of the General Assembly and its Main Committees to strive for consensus wherever possible” (Oppenheim’s International Law: United Nations).

The Conclusions of the Special Committee on the Rationalization of the Procedures and Organization of the General Assembly, annexed to the Rules of Procedure, consider “that the adoption of decisions and resolutions by consensus is desirable when it contributes to the effective and lasting settlement of differences, thus strengthening the authority of the United Nations” (A/520/Rev.19).

Decision-making by consensus governed the 19th regular session (1964-1965), and has since this time played a substantial role in the practice of the General Assembly. The number of Member States has increased over time, and according to Oppenheim's, the preference for consensus reflects that the interests and positions of Member States have become more diverse as well. As decisions of the General Assembly express the opinion or will of the organ as a whole, it is desirable to reach the widest possible agreement among the States. 

Consensus is reached when all Member States agree on a text, but it does not mean that they all agree on every element of a draft document. They can agree to adopt a draft resolution without a vote, but still have reservations about certain parts of the text. They can explain their position either before or after action is taken on the resolution.

Security Council

Resolutions or other substantive decisions of the Security Council can be adopted without a vote. “There is no legal difference between decisions adopted through a voting process and those which, without a vote, are declared adopted by consensus or acclamation by the Council President. Rather, the distinction is only a political one. In some earlier cases, adopting a resolution by consensus allowed Council members for whom the decision was sensitive to support it without being seen as having cast an affirmative vote. In later cases, the purpose of adoptions without a vote has generally been to signal the high degree of unanimity among the Council members behind a particular decision” (The Procedure of the UN Security Council, 4th Ed. by Sievers, and Daws, p. 337).

How can a group know it has reached consensus? Sometimes, you do ‘just know’. Many times, a person’s body language is a cue. People in agreement are smiling, nodding, participating, relaxed. Conversely, when a group is not in agreement, people may frown, look distracted or uninterested, arms crossed.

Fist to Five, Quick Strategy for Consensus

Fist = no support, would actively resist

One = I can't support it now, but if…

Two = I can support, but would prefer…

Three = I support it as is

Four = Yes! I will actively support

Five = Absolutely! I support and will provide leadership

Another way people communicate concern is to start a comment with ‘Yes, but….’. That phrase is often a signal that they are not on the same page as others. Generally, further discussion, or ‘air time’ to clarify concerns will resolve issues. Then check for consensus again.

It is useful, in all Team discussions, to develop the habit of saying ‘Yes, and….’ instead of ‘Yes, but….’. The concern or message is more likely to be heard, acknowledged and given consideration when it doesn’t start out sounding argumentative.

What is consensus? It is defined as ‘general agreement to an acceptable resolution.’ Consensus, as a group decision making process, is one in which group members develop, and agree to support, a decision in the best interest of the whole. Consensus does not mean that all team members concur or agree at the same level. Consensus is achieved when each person declares their intent to support a decision at some level, even if it is not their first choice. It is used to describe both the decision and the process of reaching a decision.

Consensus decision-making is an alternative to commonly practiced majority voting. There are circumstances when clear consent, one way or another, is required. Critics of a majority voting process believe that it can involve adversarial debate and the formation of competing factions, which are, of course, directly in opposition to the Team’s global outcome of collaboration and cooperation. Majority voting processes create winners and losers, with a finality to the ‘winning’ proposal. Voting leaves no middle ground to air grievances or address concerns.

Proponents of the consensus process claim that the outcomes of using this process include:

• Better decisions:

  Through including the input of all stakeholders the resulting proposals may better address all potential concerns.

• Better implementation:

  A process that includes and respects all parties and generates as much agreement as possible sets the stage for greater cooperation in implementing the resulting decisions.

• Better group relationships:

  A cooperative, collaborative group atmosphere can foster greater group cohesion and interpersonal connection, all precursors for a Team to achieve levels of high performance.

No matter what the circumstances, it is unlikely that any group of people would all be at the same level of support for something, as is indicated in a majority voting process when the only choice is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Consensus allows everyone to voice their level of support or their concerns for an idea, goal, strategy, and, in this case, a Vision statement. In particular, as a Team of people representing different agencies comes together, each person’s level of agreement will be impacted by their agency’s priorities, mission, requirements, accountability and procedures. Sometimes even the vocabulary creates a different understanding of a proposal. Across agencies, the same words can mean different things and, different words can mean the same thing.

A quick way to check consensus of a group is the ‘Fist to Five’ strategy. Fist to Five can be used at any time during group discussion, to check for agreement or concerns or when it is important to bring closure to a step and move on. To use it, the Facilitator asks the group to show his/her level of support, using their hand, (see ‘Fist to Five’ Graphic) for the item being discussed, such as the Vision Statement, items in SWOT, during 5 Whys discussion, etc. If all in the group have indicated a 3, 4, or 5, the Facilitator can move on or close the discussion. If some are indicating a 2, 1 or 0 ask them to talk specifically about their concerns and/or proposed edits. After further discussion, call again for Fist to Five.

When a group reaches consensus it means that all the members agree but they usually?

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