The Council

7 PP-98 1. Except in the case of vacancies arising in the circumstances described in Nos. 10 to 12 below, the Member States elected to the Council shall hold office until the date on which a new Council is elected. They shall be eligible for reelection.

8 PP-98 2. 1) If, between two plenipotentiary conferences, a seat becomes vacant on the Council. it shall pass by right to the Member State from the same region as the Member State whose seat is vacated which had obtained at the previous election the largest number of votes among those not elected.

9 PP-98 2) When for any reason a vacant seat cannot be filled according to the procedure of No. 8 above, the Chairman of the Council shall invite the other Member States of the region to seek election within one month of such an invitation being issued. At the end of this period, the Chairman of the Council shall invite Member States to elect a new Member State of the Council. The election shall be carried out by secret ballot by correspondence. The same majority as indicated above will be required. The new Member State of the Council shall hold office until the election of the new Council by the next competent plenipotentiary conference.

10 3. A seat on the Council shall be considered vacant:

11 a) when a Member State of the Council does not have a representative in attendance at two consecutive ordinary sessions of the Council;

12 PP-98 b) when a Member State resigns its membership of the Council.

Elected officials

13 1 The Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General and the Directors of the Bureaux shall take up their duties on the dates determined by the Plenipotentiary Conference at the time of their election. They shall normally remain in office until dates determined by the following plenipotentiary conference, and they shall be eligible for re-election once only for the same post. Re-election shall mean that it is possible for only a second term, regardless of whether it is consecutive or not.

14 2. If the post of Secretary-General falls vacant, the Deputy Secretary-General shall succeed to it and shall remain in office until a date determined by the following Plenipotentiary Conference. When under these conditions the Deputy Secretary-General succeeds to the office of the Secretary-General, the post of Deputy Secretary-General shall be considered to fall vacant on that same date and the provisions of No. 15 below shall be applied.

15 3. If the post of Deputy Secretary-General falls vacant more than 180 days prior to the date set for the convening of the next Plenipotentiary Conference, the Council shall appoint a successor for the balance of the term.

16 4. If the posts of the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General fall vacant simultaneously, the Director who has been longest in office shall discharge the duties of Secretary-General for a period not exceeding 90 days. The Council shall appoint a Secretary-General and, if the vacancies occur more than 180 days prior to the date set for the convening of the next Plenipotentiary Conference, a Deputy Secretary-General. An official thus appointed by the Council shall serve for the balance of the term for which his predecessor was elected.

17 5. If the post of a Director becomes unexpectedly vacant, the Secretary-General shall take the necessary steps to ensure that the duties of that Director are carried out until the Council shall appoint a new Director at its next ordinary session following the occurrence of such a vacancy. A Director so appointed shall serve until the date fixed by the next Plenipotentiary Conference.

18 6. Subject to the relevant provisions of Article 27 of the Constitution, the Council shall provide for the filling of any vacancy in the post of Secretary-General or Deputy Secretary-General in the situation described in the relevant provisions of the present Article at an ordinary session, if held within 90 days after a vacancy occurs, or at a session convened by the Chairman within the periods specified in those provisions.

19 7. Any period of service in the post of an elected official pursuant to an appointment under Nos. 14 to 18 above shall not affect eligibility for election or re-election to such a post.

Members of the Radio Regulations Board

20 1 The members of the Radio Regulations Board shall take up their duties on the dates determined by the Plenipotentiary Conference at the time of their election. They shall remain in office until dates determined by the following plenipotentiary conference, and shall be eligible for re-election once only. Re-election shall mean that it is possible for only a second term, regardless of whether it is consecutive or not.

21 2. If, in the interval between two plenipotentiary conferences, a member of the Board resigns or is no longer in a position to perform his duties, the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau, shall invite the Member States of the region concerned to propose candidates for the election of a replacement at the next session of the Council. However, if the vacancy occurs more than 90 days before a session of the Council or after the session of the Council preceding the next plenipotentiary conference, the Member State concerned shall designate, as soon as possible and within 90 days, another national as a replacement who will remain in office until the new member elected by the Council takes office or until the new members of the Board elected by the next plenipotentiary conference take office, as appropriate. The replacement shall be eligible for election by the Council or by the Plenipotentiary Conference, as appropriate.

22 3. A member of the Radio Regulations Board is considered no longer in a position to perform his duties after three consecutive absences from the Board meetings. The Secretary-General shall, after consultation with the Board’s Chairman as well as the member of the Board and the Member State concerned, declare existence of a vacancy in the Board and shall proceed as stipulated in No. 21 above.