[ 1952 ] Part 2 H. the Universal Postal Union (UPU)

The Universal Postal Union 887 D. HEADQUARTERS 5. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE Temporary Address: World Health Organization Address: Regional Office of the World Health Palais des Nations Organization for Europe Geneva, Switzerland Palais des Nations Cable Address: UNISANTE GENEVA Geneva, Switzerland Cable Address: UNISANTE GENEVA E. OTHER OFFICES 6. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN 1. NEW YORK OFFICE Address: Regional Office of the World Health Address: World Health Organization Organization for the Eastern Medi- United Nations terranean New York P. O. Box 1517 Cable Address: UNSANTE NEW YORK Alexandria, Egypt Cable Address: UNISANTE ALEXANDRIA 2. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR AFRICA 7. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN Address: Regional Office of the World Health PACIFIC Organization for Africa Address: Regional Office of the World Health P. O. Box 6 Organization for the Western Pacific Brazzaville, French Equatorial Africa Colon Office, 25th Street Cable Address: UNISANTE BRAZZAVILLE Port Area, Post Box 2932 Manila, Philippines Cable Address: UNISANTE MANILA 3. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE AMERICAS 8. SINGAPORE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE Address: Regional Office of the World Health STATION Organization for the Americas 1501 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Address: Epidemiological Intelligence Station Washington 6, D. C. World Health Organization 8, Oxley Rise Cable Address: OFSANPAN WASHINGTON Singapore 9 Cable Address: EPIDNATION SINGAPORE 4. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIA 9. TUBERCULOSIS RESEARCH OFFICE Address: Regional Office of the World Health Address: World Health Organization Tuberculosis Organization for South-East Asia Research Office Patiala House, Hardinge Avenue Scherfigsvej 8 New Delhi, India Copenhagen, Denmark Cable Address: WORLDHELTH NEW DELHI Cable Address: UNIRESEARCH COPENHAGEN H. The Universal Postal Union (UPU)1 1. Introduction successive revisions of the Treaty although it was somewhat elaborated by the Stockholm Cong- The Postal Union was founded in 1874 by the ress of 1924 and the Paris Congress of 1947. The first International Postal Congress held at Berne, former added that it was also the aim of the Union before which international exchanges of mail had "to provide for the organisation and improvement been regulated by numerous special agreements of the various international postal services" and concluded between countries or groups of coun- the latter that it was "to promote the development tries. of international collaboration in this sphere". For This first International Postal Treaty which well-defined classes of mail (such as letters, post- entered into force in July 1875 considerably cards and printed matter) addressed to any part changed and simplified the existing state of af- of the territory of the Postal Union, the Berne fairs. It declared that the countries concluding the Treaty formed a single postal territory for 1 For further information concerning UPU, see the reciprocal exchange of mail between their L'Union postale universelle: Sa fondation et son de- veloppement, 1874-1949. Mémoire (Berne: Bureau in- post offices. This formulation of the aims of the ternational de l'Union, 1950); annual reports of UPU Union remained substantially the same through and previous issues of the Yearbook, 888 Yearbook of the United Nations Treaty provided that each country was to charge of the Union was changed from General Postal uniform rates and all apportionment of charges Union to Universal Postal Union. between sender and receiver countries was abol- On 1 July 1948 the Universal Postal Convention ished. Freedom of transit was guaranteed through- as revised by the Paris Congress in 1947 entered out the territory of the Union. into force. This Congress introduced a new article A congress of plenipotentiaries of the par- into the Convention providing that the Union ticipating countries was to meet periodically with would be brought into relationship with the United a view to perfecting the machinery of the Union, Nations in accordance with the terms of an Agree- introducing necessary improvements, and dis- ment, the text of which was annexed to the Con- 2 cussing matters of common interest. Thirteen such vention. As a result of this Agreement, and be- congresses met up to the end of 1952. These con- cause of circumstances arising from the Second gresses drew up the Acts by which the functions World War, the article relating to accession to the of the Union are determined. These Acts com- Convention was modified. Under the new terms, prise: the Swiss Government has been required, since 1 July 1948, to submit each new request for admis- (1) a main Convention laying down (a) the statute of the Union and (b) provisions governing the letter- sion to the Members of the Union, and the post, which includes letters, postcards, printed matter, country concerned is considered admitted only if samples, commercial papers, small parcels and phono- its request is approved by at least two thirds of post articles (for example, phonograph records); the Members constituting the Union. (2) seven accessory agreements covering insured letters and boxes, parcel post, cash-on-delivery articles, money orders, collection orders, transfers to and from 2. Organization postal cheque accounts and subscriptions to newspapers UPU is composed of the Universal Postal and periodicals. (Special provisions annexed to the main Convention and the parcel post agreement govern Congress, the Executive and Liaison Committee, the optional transport of these articles by air. Similarly, and the International Bureau of the UPU. Special a supplement to the money order agreement regulates sessions of the Congress may be called at the re- the optional exchange of travellers' orders.) quest of at least two-thirds of the Members of Accession to the main Convention is obligatory the Union. Committees of a temporary character for all Members, but accession to the other agree- may be established by the Congress to study par- ments is optional. The performance of certain ticular questions. special services referred to in the Convention The Universal Postal Congress meets at the is therefore limited to arrangements between latest within five years from the date of entry countries which have agreed to undertake them. into force of the Acts of the preceding Congress The provisions of these Acts of the Union acquire in order to revise these Acts or to complete them, the status of law in each country which ratines if necessary. Each Member is represented at the them, and it is therefore the responsibility of Congress by one or more plenipotentiary repre- each party to the Convention or to one of the sentatives, who are given the necessary powers by agreements to ensure the application of the re- their governments. A Member may also be rep- spective provisions. Each of these Acts is ac- resented by the delegation of another Member, companied by executive regulations, which have although no delegation may represent more than also been adopted by the Congress but signed by one country other than its own. Each Member has representatives in the name of their respective one vote in the Congress. Every Congress fixes the postal administrations and not, as in the case place of meeting of the following Congress, which of the Convention and the Agreements, in their is convened, after consultation with the Inter- capacity as plenipotentiaries of their governments. national Bureau, by the government of the country In addition to the congresses, several conferences in which it is to meet. This government is also or committees of representatives of postal ad- responsible for notifying all other Members of ministrations met, under the Union's auspices, to the Union of the decisions taken by the Congress. examine and discuss special technical questions The Executive and Liaison Committee is com- referred to them by congresses or to prepare for posed of twenty Member States elected by the congresses. Congress to function during the period between Provisions for the admission of new Members 2 For texts of the Universal Postal Convention of were eased by the Paris Congress of 1878, which Paris, 1947, the Final Protocol of the Convention and laid down that countries would be admitted to the Agreement between the United Nations and UPU, see Y.U.N., 1947-48, pp. 893-908. The revised Uni- membership at their request without prior consul- versal Postal Convention of Brussels, 1952, will enter tation among Members being required. The name into force on 1 July 1953. The Universal Postal Union 889 Congresses. At least half of the members of the The most important event of the year was the Committee must be re-elected at each Congress, meeting in Brussels of the 13th Universal Postal but no country can be elected by three successive Congress from 14 May to 11 July, at which 91 Congresses. The Committee usually holds one of the Members of the Union were represented session a year; it meets normally at Berne. Its by plenipotentiaries. The principal tasks before functions include: the Congress were to amend the Universal Postal (1) the maintenance of close relations with Members Convention of 1947, to receive the report of the of the Union, with a view to improving the inter- Executive and Liaison Committee covering the national postal service; activities of the Union since 1947 and to fix a (2) the study of technical questions affecting that budget ceiling for the next five years. It was service and the transmission of the results of such studies to the Members of the Union; provided

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