The idea of a Restricted Union in this part of the world came up first in the late 1950s. In order to give a concrete shape to the idea, after informal discussions, the Philippines government sent through diplomatic channels invitations to 18 countries for a roundtable in Manila from 10th to 23rd January 1961. Among the countries invited were Afghanistan, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The roundtable drew up the Asian-Oceanic Postal Convention. The convention was to come into force on 1st April 1962. On that date, they formed a union among themselves and established its headquarters in Manila with Mr. Palomar, postmaster general of Philippines as its first director. The headquarters was relocated to Bangkok in 2002. In due course others countries of the Asian-Pacific region joined this regional postal union making it today an inter-governmental body of 32 countries. The Executive Council comprises all the member countries of the Union with a quorum of the majority. To ensure the continuity of the work of the union in the intervals between congresses, the executive council meets in principle once each year.

The functions of the executive council are: (a) To perform any duty assigned to it by a resolution of the congress. (b) To lay down the international postal service rules which shall provide for details necessary for the operation of the international postal service between the member-countries. (c) To maintain contacts with postal administration of the member-countries of the Union with a view to improving the postal service. (d) To prescribe rules for the administration of the bureau and to supervise the activities of the Bureau. (e) To review and approve the annual budget and accounts of the administrative section prepared by the Bureau in the intervals between congresses. (f) To make useful contacts with the various organs of the Universal Postal Union, with the restricted Unions or with other specialized agencies of the United Nations with special interests in the area and, if necessary, to appoint representatives to conference of such organizations. (g) To conclude agreements on behalf of the Union with the Universal Postal Union and other restricted Unions and international organizations with regard to such matters as technical co-operation with the concurrence of at least two-thirds of the members of the Union. The Council may authorize the director of the bureau to execute such agreements. (h) To assemble, prior to each universal postal congress, in order to exchange and harmonize their views. (i) To make necessary steps, with the agreement of the majority of the members of Union, provisionally to carry out such other administrative acts which are not covered by the acts of the Union and cannot await the next congress for the settlement.

Chairman of the Executive Council is elected by the first Executive Council meeting convened immediately after the holding of the congress at the same venue. In the normal course the chairmanship shall devolve by right on the host country of congress. The present chairman is India elected after the 2013 congress held in India. Member Countries are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Lao, South Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Island, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.