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Universal Post Union (UPU)

The Universal Postal Union, with its headquarters in Bern (Switzerland), was established in 1874. Since 1948, it has had the status of specialised body of the United Nations. The UNU is currently comprised of 191 member countries.

 

At the end of the 19^th century, the development of international mail forced postal operators to conclude bilateral agreements. But these soon became unmanageable because of their number. One of the UPU’s first goals was to create a single postal territory. The 1874 treaty of Bern requires all contracting parties of the Acts of the UPU to guarantee, according to the principle of reciprocity, the exchange of letter-post items in accordance with the freedom of transit, and to treat without distinction postal items coming from other territories and transiting through their country as their own postal items.

 

The UPU’s added value was the creation of a single multilateral agreement which ensured uniform rules for the delivery of international mail.

 

Before 1969, the issuing country operator would keep the entire income from the price of postage while the destination country operator would not earn anything although it forwarded the mail to the final delivery point. The philosophy was that every letter created an answer.

 

Since 1969, the designated operator that sends a letter-post item to another country remunerates the addressed destination operator for processing and delivering that item. This system of remuneration is known as “terminal dues”. Terminal dues are an important source of revenue for UPU member countries. The system continues to evolve from one Universal Postal Congress to another. At the 2004 Bucharest Congress, member countries adopted a system aimed at covering their actual mail processing costs. Moreover, a link was established between the remuneration received and the quality of service provided. The 2008 Geneva Congress established the rules allowing developing and the lesser advanced countries to grow toward a target system which already includes the industrialised countries.

 

To this day, the UPU still keeps its added-value: internet users are often confronted with the risks of fraud. Fraudsters also work with a combination of Internet and post. The UPU cooperates with all parties concerned, of which is BIPT, to make the general public aware of these types of frauds.

 

Through its cooperatives (Telematics cooperative), the UPU develops a range of technological applications and software solutions for member countries to ensure the services efficiency in a competitive environment:

The worldwide electronic postal communication network enables postal operators worldwide to exchange standard EDI messages. The POST*Net network, which provides monitoring services and an integrated warning system to signal problems, a track-and-trace system, and postal compensation and billing, offers cost-based pricing that is in line with the country's level of development.

 

IPS is an integrated international mail management system. It provides end-to-end tracking of items, receptacles and dispatches as well as automated processing of dispatches, track and trace, EDI messaging.

 

IFS is a software application for international money order services. International money order processing via EDI is covered at every stage, from international standard billing to monitoring and quality-control measurement using an advanced data encryption technique supported by its own public key infrastructure." (UPU website)

The UPU operates through four bodies:

The Universal Postal Congress is the supreme authority of the UPU. It convenes every four years, bringing together plenipotentiaries of all member countries. The 25^th Universal Postal Congress will start on 24 September 2012 and close on 15 October 2012, in the Qatari capital of Doha.

The main function of Congress is legislative and focuses on strategic issues. Congress selects the director general and deputy director general, as well as the members of the CA and POC. The supreme body also sets the budget ceiling for the following four years.

 

The Council of Administration (CA) consists of 41 member countries and meets annually at UPU headquarters in Bern. The Council ensures the continuity of the UPU's work between Congresses, supervises its activities and studies regulatory, administrative, legislative and legal issues. It approves the budget and accounts.

 

The Postal Operations Council (POC) is the technical and operational mind of the UPU. It consists of 40 member countries, elected during Congress. It elects its own chair and meets annually at the UPU’s headquarters in Bern.

The POC’s work programme is geared towards helping Posts modernise and upgrade their postal products and services. Members discuss the operational, economic and commercial aspects of the postal business. The body also makes recommendations to member countries on standards for technological processes and where uniform practices are necessary.

The POC is in charge of the technical, economic and commercial aspects of postal activities. According to the decisions that were taken, it reviews regulation after each Congress. It promotes new postal products by compiling, analysing and broadcasting feedback from member countries. When a new technology or a new method sees the light of day, it makes recommendations to member countries, especially when uniformity is required.

 

With its 150 employees, the International Bureau fulfils a daily secretariat function.