The IISS Council is an advisory body. It is composed of distinguished individuals drawn from the Institute’s international membership. The Council’s role is to advise the Trustees and the Director-General and Chief Executive on the intellectual direction of the Institute. The Council normally consists of not fewer than twenty and not more than thirty members, and they serve for terms of three years, subject to a maximum consecutive period of two terms. Members of the Council are appointed by the Council as a whole, following consultation by its Chairman with the Chairman of the Trustees and the Director-General and Chief Executive. The person selected by the Council to be its chairman shall also be the Chairman of the Institute. The Chairman of the Trustees and the Honorary Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of the Council and the periods during which they hold such office shall not be taken into account in calculating periods of office. The Council will normally meet once a year. The Institute’s Director-General and senior management may call upon members of the Council for advice, especially when travelling to countries where Council members reside, for advice or assistance.