Universal Postal Union(UPU)

News:Recently,Pakistan has stopped exchange of postal mails with India since August 27,2019.This decision was taken unilaterally by Pakistan without any prior notice and is in direct contravention of Universal Postal Union (UPU) frames rules.

Facts:

About Universal Postal Union(UPU):

• The Universal Postal Union(UPU) was established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874.
• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations(UN) that coordinates postal policies among member nations.
• The UPU has 192 member-countries and is headquartered in Bern.
• It has four units namely (a)Congress (b)Council of Administration (c)International Bureau and the (d)Postal Operations Council.
• India joined the UPU on July 1,1876 and Pakistan on November 10, 1947.

How has Pakistan violated UPU rules?

• Under UPU rules, when a country decides to suspend exchange with a country,it must notify the operator of the other country, the duration for which services are being stopped.
• The Universal Postal Union(UPU) International Bureau too has to be notified.
• However,India was not given prior notice when Pakistan suspended postal exchange.
• India is also unaware if Pakistan has notified the UPU about suspension of postal service with India.