Universal Postal Union

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Universal Postal Union

Abbreviation	UPU
Formation	9 October 1874; 149 years ago (1874-10-09)
Type	United Nations specialised agency
Legal status	Active
Headquarters	Bern, Switzerland
Head	Director-General Masahiko Metoki[1]
Parent organization	United Nations Economic and Social Council
Website	www.upu.int
Treaty effective October 1874

The Universal Postal Union (UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that coordinates postal policies among member nations and facilitates a uniform worldwide postal system. It comprises 192 member states and is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland.^[2]

Established in 1874 as the General Postal Union, the UPU is among the oldest existing intergovernmental organizations. It sought to standardize international mail delivery by establishing a uniform postal rate and equal treatment between domestic and foreign mail. The organization adopted its current name in 1878. It operated independently before being incorporated into the UN in 1948.^[3]

The UPU contains four bodies: the Congress, the Council of Administration (CA), the Postal Operations Council (POC) and the International Bureau (IB). It also oversees the Telematics and Express Mail Service (EMS) cooperatives, which provide international express mail delivery. Pursuant to the UPU's mission, each member state agrees to the same terms for conducting international postal duties.