Universal Postal Union (UPU)

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News: India has been re-elected to the Council of Administration (CA) and the Postal Operations Council (POC) of the Universal Postal Union during the 28th UPU Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

About Universal Postal Union (UPU)

Source – UPU
  • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for coordinating international postal policies and ensuring a seamless global postal system.
  • It is the second oldest international organization worldwide.

Key facts about UPU

EstablishedEstablished by the Treaty of Bern in 1874.
HeadquartersBerne, Switzerland
Members
  • Any UN member state may join the UPU.
  • A non-UN state may join if at least two-thirds of UPU members approve.
  • The UPU currently has 192 member countries.
  • India has been a member since 1874 and continues to actively participate.
Functions
  • It performs advisory, mediating, and liaison roles and provides technical assistance where needed.
  • It frames rules for international mail exchanges.
  • It issues recommendations to grow mail, parcel, and financial services and improve service quality.
Governance Structure
  1. Universal Postal Congress: Congress is the supreme authority of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and meets every four years.
  2. Council of Administration: The Council ensures the continuity of the UPU’s work between Congresses, supervises its activities and studies regulatory, administrative, legislative and legal issues.
  3. Postal Operations Council: The Postal Operations Council (POC) is the technical and operational mind of the UPU and consists of 48 member countries, elected during Congress.
  4. International Bureau: Fulfilling a secretariat function, the International Bureau provides logistical and technical support to the UPU’s bodies.
  • UPI–UPU Integration project: Launch of the UPI-UPU Integration project (Department of Posts, NPCI International, UPU) to link UPI with the UPU Interconnection Platform for secure, affordable cross-border remittances.
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