The APEC forum was established in 1989. APEC does not have a charter and therefore cannot be termed an organisation, but is an international forum and consultative body for discussing economic issues.
APEC brings together 21 economies: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the USA and Vietnam.
Russia joined APEC in 1998.
APEC is chaired by whichever country is due to host the next summit, which is elected at forum conferences. All APEC decisions are made on a consensus basis.