There is no such organisation as Section 31. Honest. Would I lie to you? Go back now.

Section 31 is the code name of an officially nonexistent and uncondoned rogue agency within Starfleet Intelligence that claims to protect the security interests of the United Federation of Planets.

Little information is available about the activities of the organization; one of its operatives has claimed that Section 31 deals with threats to the Federation that others do not even realize exist. The group's historical precedent derives from the 22nd century, when an ancestral organization (also named Section 31) within the UESPA Starfleet acted covertly in the interests of United Earth. The organisation embodies the best, and worst, aspects of the CIA, FSB, MI6, Am-Tal, Hruunt and V'Shar.

The current organization's title comes from the original Starfleet Charter, Article 14, Section 31, which allows for extraordinary measures to be taken in times of extreme threat.

Section 31's actions are autonomous and its existence is neither acknowledged nor denied by Starfleet Command or the Federation Council. Those found guilty of posing a security threat to the Federation are dealt with quietly. Section 31 is not accountable to anyone; it does not submit reports to anyone or ask approval for specific operations. As such, it has essentially granted itself the powers of judge, jury, and executioner. Under Section 31 credo, to save lives, the ends always justifies the means and its operatives are not afraid to bend the rules if the situation warranted it. Section 31's existence has been likened to that of the Cardassian Union's Obsidian Order or the Romulan Star Empire's Tal Shiar.

Section 31 has no known physical headquarters or base of operations. A select few are chosen to carry widespread knowledge of their operations. Recruitment of new agents has to be done in secret. One method that Section 31 uses to accomplish that involved kidnapping potential agents and testing their loyalty. Section 31's recruitment policy does not allow agents to officially retire from duty, and agents who have long since moved on from the agency can be called upon at any time to carry out a mission.