1 The Council shall be composed of all member countries or territories of the Union. The host country of the Congress shall serve as Chairman of the Council, which position shall be held by experts in the management of collegiate bodies with a thorough knowledge of Union rules.

2 The first meeting of each Council shall be called during the course of the Congress by the Chairman to elect a First and Second Vice-Chairman. In the event that the country or territory designated as Chairman should waive its right to this position, it shall be filled by the First Vice-Chairman, in which case the Second Vice-Chairman shall become First Vice-Chairman and a new Second Vice-Chairman shall be elected from among the other Council members.

3 This same first meeting of the Council shall elect its Management Committee, in accordance with Article 116, paragraph 2.

4 Each member country or territory shall appoint its representative to the Council.

5 The Council shall hold annual meetings at Union headquarters, called by its Chairman, through the General Secretariat. In exceptional cases, and without additional cost to the Union, the Council may hold its annual meeting in another city of any member country or territory. The Secretary General shall take part in debates at all Council meetings as a nonvoting member.

The Council shall issue Rules of Procedure governing its operation. The rules set forth in the preceding articles pertaining to the functioning of the Congress shall also be applicable to the Council to the extent they are suitable, and the Chairman of the Congress or, if applicable, the Vice-Chairman, shall be responsible for their correct interpretation and application.

6 When necessary, the Chairman shall call an extraordinary meeting at the request of any member, with the consent of two thirds of all Council members entitled to vote, to be held within two months.

7 Council members shall perform their duties without compensation. Operating expenses shall be borne by the Union. With the exception of meetings held during the Congress, member countries or territories in the lowest contribution category unable to use their pro rata funds shall be entitled to reimbursement of the cost of one single round-trip economy-class airfare or of the cost of travel by any other means up to the equivalent of a round-trip economy-class airfare. This provision applies only in the case of single-person delegations.

8 Observers. Participation by observers at meetings of the Council shall be governed, by analogy, by the provisions of Article 107 of these Regulations.

9 The General Secretariat, in consultation with the Chairman of the Council and the Management Committee, shall analyze and issue these invitations on the agreed terms.

10 Observers may speak when authorized by the Chairman, but they shall not be entitled to vote.

11 The Council shall direct Union activities, with the following specific duties:

11.1) To maintain contact with member countries or territories, Universal Postal Union bodies, Restricted Postal Unions and any other national or international organization, through the Chairman of the Council;

11.2) To submit the draft strategic plan to the Congress, which shall consider it in the light of the previous report from the Management Committee and with the participation and advice of the General Secretariat;

11.3) To monitor each year the implementation of the strategic plan, assess its results and approve any readjustment of priorities that may be appropriate;

11.4) To take initiatives and implement activities in the interest of, or related to, the postal services of the member countries or territories of the Union;

11.5) To examine and adopt the draft action plan drawn up by the General Secretariat, which entails the task of avoiding unnecessary expenditure;

11.6) To regulate and oversee General Secretariat activities and approve its internal rules;

11.7) To examine and, if appropriate, approve the Annual Report on the work of the Union prepared by the General Secretariat;

11.8) To authorize the annual Union budget, subject to the ceilings set by the Congress;

11.9) To examine and, if appropriate, approve the financial statements in regard to the previous year’s Budget;

11.10) To establish the salary schedules of the General Secretariat staff, at the first Council meeting following an ordinary Congress;

11.11) To approve and/or amend, if appropriate, the Personnel Statutes of the General Secretariat of the Union;

11.12) To approve and amend the Technical Cooperation Manual, as an instrument for achieving the Union objectives laid down in the strategic plan that has been adopted;

11.13) To examine and, if appropriate, approve the General Secretariat’s annual schedule of attendance at international postal meetings, as well as the number of officials scheduled to attend each meeting, with the exception of necessary emergency travel in the interests of the Union. This same procedure shall be followed for other necessary travel on behalf of the Union;

11.14) To examine and, if appropriate, approve requests by the Secretary General for transfers between programs and between cost groups within a single program of the budget approved for the current year;

11.15) To conduct studies or express opinions on any questions involving or related to postal services or that might affect member countries or territories of the Union;

11.16) To promote and supervise the organization and conduct of training activities and the establishment of postal schools in member countries or territories and, at their request, arrange expert and consultant missions through the General Secretariat to assist in their organization, development and operation under technical cooperation programs;

11.17) To designate the country or territory to host the next Congress under the circumstances described in Article 103, paragraphs 3 and 4 above, subject to a vote if there is more than one candidate;

11.18) To make necessary arrangements to designate the country or territory to chair the Congress in the circumstances described in Article 103, paragraph 7;

11.19) To present the Congress with proposed amendments to Union Acts and with draft Resolutions and Recommendations emerging from studies conducted acting on instructions or on its own initiative;

11.20) To make decisions on requests for invitations to attend the Congress as observers, in accordance with Article 107 of these Regulations;

11.21) To notify member countries and territories of the results of studies undertaken;

11.22) To establish rules for documents to be published and distributed by the General Secretariat free of charge or at cost;

11.23) To promote international cooperation to facilitate, by any means at its disposal, development cooperation in the countries or territories of the Union;

11.24) To conduct appellate reviews of appealable rulings by the Supervisory Authority on complaints lodged by General Secretariat personnel against decisions by the General Secretariat;

11.25) To hold elections to fill vacancies from among the proposed nominees for the Secretary General and/or Counsellor, under the circumstances described in Article 119, paragraph 7 below;

11.26) To approve any projects to be paid from the Technical Cooperation Funds that are submitted to it by the General Secretariat in accordance with the provisions of the Technical Cooperation Regulations;

11.27) In the event that the General Secretariat is in favour, to decide whether a member country or territory may use its pro rata funds more than three times;

11.28) Any and all other functions necessary for the due and proper attainment of its purposes.

12 Proposals and/or matters should be submitted by Council members to the General Secretariat at least six weeks prior to the opening of the session in which they are to be considered. Proposals and/or matters submitted outside of this period may be considered only if the Council so decides by a majority of the members present and voting.

The submission and consideration of proposals and/or matters shall be governed by the provisions of Article 108, paragraphs 2 to 10 of these Regulations.

13 The adoption of decisions by the Council shall require:

– verification of the necessary quorum, which shall be one half plus one of the member countries or territories present and entitled to vote;

– consensus, or if that is not possible, a simple majority.

14 The adoption of decisions by long-distance consultation, subsequent to Council meetings, shall require:

– consultation with member countries and territories of the Union entitled to vote;

– verification of the quorum necessary to validate responses, which shall be one half plus one of the member countries or territories of the Union entitled to vote;

– a simple majority of responses based on this quorum.

15 The Council shall present a comprehensive report on its activities during the interval between Congresses at least two months in advance of the next Congress.