Universal Postal Union (UPU)

Universal Postal Congress Latest News

The 28th Universal Postal Congress, the supreme decision-making body of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) , opened recently.

About Universal Postal Congress

• It is a United Nations specialized agency and the postal sector’s primary forum for international cooperation.
• It was established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874. It is the second oldest international organization worldwide.
• Headquarters: Bern, Switzerland.

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Functions of Universal Postal Congress

• It coordinates postal policies among member nations in addition to the worldwide postal system. 
• It sets the rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail, parcel and financial services volumes and improve the quality of service for customers.

Governance Structure

• The Congress: It is the supreme authority of the UPU and meets every four years.
• The Council of Administration: It ensures the continuity of the UPU’s work between Congresses, supervises its activities and studies regulatory, administrative, legislative and legal issues.
• The Postal Operations Council: It is the technical and operational mind of the UPU and consists of 48 member countries elected during Congress.
• The International Bureau: Fulfilling a secretariat function, the International Bureau provides logistical and technical support to the UPU’s bodies.

Member Countries of Universal Postal Congress

• Any member country of the United Nations may become a member of the UPU.
• Any non-member country of the United Nations may become a UPU member, provided that its request is approved by at least two-thirds of the member countries of the UPU.
• Member countries: At present it consists of 192 member countries.

Source: News on Air