19.11.2015
In recent years, Turkey, which has hosted many international organizations, is preparing to host another important organization in 2016. The 2016 Congress of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) will be held in Istanbul.
The signatures for holding the Universal Postal Union Congress in Istanbul were signed between Turkey's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador Mehmet Ferden Çarıkçı, and UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein. At the signing ceremony, Dr. İhsan Kulalı, a member of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, and Harun Maden, General Manager of the Postal and Telegraph Organization (PTT), were also present.
The congress, which will determine the future of the Universal Postal Union and the goals and strategies of the postal sector for the years 2016-2020, will take place in Istanbul from September 19 to October 7, 2016. Approximately 2,500 delegates from 192 member countries are expected to attend the congress. During the congress, elections will be held to determine the UPU Director General, Deputy Director General, and the members of the Administrative Council and Postal Operations Council.
The Istanbul 2016 Congress, under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, guided by the Information Technologies and Communication Authority as the regulatory and supervisory body, and organized by PTT, which represents our country as the designated operator in the Universal Postal Union; holds great importance not only because our country will preside over the Administrative Council during 2016-2020, but also because the 2016 Congress will be frequently referred to as the Istanbul Congress in UPU records named after the host city, and the strategy document for the next four-year period will be named the Istanbul Postal Strategy.
What is the Universal Postal Union (UPU)?
The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established in 1874 by 22 countries, including Turkey. Since 1948, the UPU has been operating as a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its headquarters is located in Bern, Switzerland. The fundamental tasks of the Union are defined in the UPU Constitution as follows:
• To ensure the free circulation of postal items within a single postal territory formed by interconnected networks,
• To set postal standards and promote technology,
• To ensure international cooperation among members,
• To promote effective technical cooperation,
• To meet consumer needs
The UPU's most fundamental document is the "UPU Constitution." It establishes the basic rules of the Union. As it is a binding document, it must be approved by the competent authorities of member countries. Amendments and additions to this document are made only at Congresses and recorded as additional protocols. Additional protocols are also subject to approval by member countries. The "General Regulations," on the other hand, determine the implementation of the Constitution and the working procedures and principles of the Union, and are binding on countries.
The UPU holds a Congress every four years, and the decisions taken there remain in force for the member countries until the next Congress, for a period of 4 years. Within the Union, there are two Councils—the Administrative Council and the Postal Operations Council—where decisions on administrative and operational matters are made, and the members of these Councils are determined by elections held during the Congress for a period of 4 years. Additionally, the host country of the Congress presides over the Administrative Council for 4 years.
