Artikel VI

(a). One-fourth of, but not less than thirty, Member States shall take seats in the Council, the first two-thirds of whom shall take their seats on a regional basis and the remaining one-third on the basis of hydrographic interests, which shall be defined in the General Regulations.
(b). The principles for the composition of the Council shall be laid down in the General Regulations.
(c). Members of the Council shall hold office until the end of the next ordinary session of the Assembly.
(d). Two-thirds of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum.
(e). The Council shall meet at least once a year.
(f). Member States not being members of the Council may participate in Council meetings but shall not be entitled to vote.
(g). The functions of the Council shall be to:
(i) Elect its Chair and Vice-Chair, each of whom shall hold office until the end of the next ordinary session of the Assembly;
(ii) Exercise such responsibilities as may be delegated to it by the Assembly;
(iii) Co-ordinate, during the inter-Assembly period, the activities of the Organization within the framework of the strategy, work programme and financial arrangements, as decided by the Assembly;
(iv) Report to the Assembly at each ordinary session on the work of the Organization;
(v) Prepare, with the support of the Secretary-General, proposals concerning the overall strategy and the work programme to be adopted by the Assembly;
(vi) Consider the financial statements and budget estimates prepared by the Secretary-General and submit them for approval to the Assembly with comments and recommendations regarding programmatic allocations of the budget estimates;
(vii) Review proposals submitted to it by subsidiary organs and refer them: To the Assembly for all matters requiring decisions by the Assembly;
Back to the subsidiary organ if considered necessary; or
To the Member States for adoption, through correspondence;
To the Assembly for all matters requiring decisions by the Assembly;
Back to the subsidiary organ if considered necessary; or
To the Member States for adoption, through correspondence;
(viii) Propose to the Assembly the establishment of subsidiary organs; and
(ix) Review draft agreements between the Organization and other organizations, and submit them to the Assembly for approval.