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ANNEX L Relating to Article 78 Selection of the Members of the First Executive Board To facilitate the work of the Conference at its first session, the following rules shall apply with respect to the selection of the members of the first Executive Board under the provisions of Article 78 : 1. Six seats on the Board shall be filled under subparagraphs [a) and (b) of paragraph 3of Article 78 by Member countries of the Western Hemisphere.* If five or more countries of the Western Hemisphere eligible for election under paragraph 3 (6) of Article 78, have not become Members of the Organization at the time of the election, only three seats shall be filled under paragraph 3 (b). If ten or more of the countries of the Western Hemisphere, eligible for election under paragraph 3 {b), have not become Members of the Organization at the time of the election, only two seats shall be filled under paragraph 3 (b). The seat or seats thus unoccupied shall not be filled unless the Conference otherwise decides by a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting. 2. In order to ensure a selection in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3 (a) of Article 78, the following countries and customs unions shall be deemed to fulfil the conditions set out therein : (a) The two countries in the Western Hemisphere and the three countries or customs unions in Europe with the largest external trade, which participated in the Havana Conference; and (b) In view of their potential importance in international trade, the three countries with the largest population in the world. Should any of these countries, including any country participating in a customs union, not be a Member of the Organization at the time of the election, the Conference shall review the situation; however, the unoccupied seat or seats shall not be filled, unless the Conference otherwise decides by a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting. 3. In the election of members of the Executive Board under the provisions of paragraph 3 (b) of Article 78, the Conference shall have due regard to the provisions of paragraph 2 of that Article and to the fact that certain relationships existing among a geographical group of countries may in certain cases give such a group a distinctive and unified character. 4. The members selected under paragraph 3 '(a) of Article 78 shall serve for a term of three years. Of the members elected under paragraph 3 (b), half, as determined by lot, shall serve for a term of two years, and the other half for a term of four years. However, if an uneven number of Members has been elected, the Conference shall determine the number to serve for two and for four years respectively.

* That is, North, Central and South America.