A list of Directors-General of the South Pole NIZ. Directors-General also serve, ex officio, as the Chairmen of the Antarctic Assembly, an organization which is almost synonymous with the NIZ. As this Assembly has such powerful authority in Antarctica, the Director-General is often considered one of the most powerful men on the continent. Directors-General serve five-year terms. Only representatives in the Antarctic Assembly are eligible to run for the office; and they are elected by their fellow representatives. Directors-General from the same territory can not serve consecutive terms.