The 22d session of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was held in Rome from October 28 to November 2, 1955, under the chairmanship of Josué de Castro. The Council reviewed the detailed arrangements for the eighth session of the Conference and requested the Director-General to circulate a revised text of the provisional agenda for the Conference, inserting items for discussion on associate membership and observer status. At the request of the seventh Conference the Council had drafted amendments to the Constitution and rules of procedure to provide for the admission of associate members to FAO and had forwarded them for consideration to the eighth session of the Conference. The Council recommended to the eighth Conference that, after amending the Constitution and rules of procedure, it might invoke the rule of procedure which would suspend the rule requiring 30 days notice for the presentation of applications for associate membership in order that applicants would not have to wait a further two years in order to gain admission to FAO. The Council also recommended that the Conference consider amending the Constitution and rules of procedure to eliminate any ambiguity in regard to the granting of observer status and the participation of observers in meetings arranged by FAO. Pending a decision by the Conference as to the desirability of including this question on its agenda, the Council requested the Director-General to defer any action on the granting of observer status in instances which were not clearly covered by existing rules.