UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION
23rd Congress
Bucharest 2004
Proposal of a general nature
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
034.Rev 2 |
Resolution
UPU quality of service measurement: service standards, quantifiable goals and annual performance reviews for all classes of mail
Congress,
Conscious
that the UPU's mission statement calls upon the UPU to foster the development of high-quality and efficient universal postal services to facilitate communication among the people of the world,
Mindful
that the five main objectives of the Bucharest Postal Strategy support the basic mission of the UPU to improve postal services in its member countries, with particular emphasis on international mail exchanges,
Recognizing
that in 2005 the postal administrations of industrialized countries will apply a system of terminal dues payments based in part on their performance in delivering letter class mail (Quality Link to Terminal Dues), and that a similar system will be designed for the international mail exchanges of developing countries in the years thereafter,
Informed
that several major member administrations of the EMS Cooperative have applied the EMS Pay-for-performance Plan under which these administrations compensate one another based on their performance in delivering inbound EMS items and scanning and transmitting event data on these items,
Aware
that if the UPU is to effect tangible improvement in the quality of international postal services worldwide, postal administrations must develop achievable delivery standards for international mail whose degree of attainment can be gauged by employing reliable and objective performance measurements,
Concerned
that the UPU currently has no comprehensive systems or methods for measuring and publishing results on:
? the performance of administrations in delivering parcels;
? the performance of airlines in handling and transporting dispatches of international mail;
? the performance of administrations in applying UPU technical standards developed by the Standards Board for all classes of mail, such as the PREDES, RESDES, PRECON, RESCON messages,
Confident
that current advanced technologies and the UPU standards that have been adopted to take advantage of these technologies offer new opportunities to measure service performance for all classes of mail in all UPU member countries,
Persuaded
that the disciplines required by the Quality Link to Terminal Dues and EMS Pay-for-performance should be applied to UPU activities related to service performance measurement and possibly to other UPU activities where quantifiable goals may be adopted and objective measurements conducted,
Instructs
the Postal Operations Council to:
? develop and publish periodic comprehensive report cards on the performance of all administrations in delivering all classes of mail, where such reports do not now exist, which could include the quality of tracking and data transmission for individual items and the performance of contractors, such as airlines, in carrying out tasks related to international mail exchanges;
? conduct annual reviews of the performance of administrations and contractors as reflected in these report cards;
? adopt quantifiable annual goals for service performance that could specify performance targets for individual administrations, groups of administrations (such as regional targets) or all administrations worldwide;
? continue efforts to link inter-administration payments for delivery of mail to service performance for all classes of mail.
Reasons. ? The aim of this proposal is to make UPU member postal administrations, the Postal Operations Council and, at least indirectly, the International Bureau responsible for the quality of international postal service among the organization's 190 member countries. In its mission statement, the UPU declares itself responsible for fostering the improvement of the quality of international postal service. To improve international postal service, it is first necessary to set standards against which objective, quantifiable measurements can be taken. To measure attainment of the standards, it is necessary to put into place measurement systems that produce regular performance reports that are at once unassailably reliable and objective. The real test of the quality and credibility of service performance measurements and reports is whether postal administrations are willing to make inter-administration payments (terminal dues, etc.) on the basis of the performance reports.
The experience of the UPU over the past five years in pay-for-performance arrangements for EMS has shown the value of these systems in improving postal administrations' delivery performance. The 2005 Quality Link is also expected to lead to significant improvements in the quality of service of letter mail. Through this proposal, the UPU would apply the experience over the past five years to all classes of mail and to all administrations ? at least to all those where such performance measurement is viable ? starting with high-volume administrations. It is important to stress that as a result of this proposal, the POC could assign specific annual goals to individual postal administrations or to specific regions. Further, the POC may also assign specific, quantifiable goals for improving quality of service or expanding tracking or data transmission capability to its individual project teams or committees.
If successful, this approach ? that is, setting standards, establishing quantifiable goals, conducting measurements, and carrying out an annual review of the results and the goals themselves ? may be applied in the future to other UPU activities that lend themselves to application of these disciplines.
Supported by. ? Brazil, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, St. Lucia.
Proposal of a general nature
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
039 |
Resolution
Access to operational information on the UPU website
Congress,
Conscious
of the need of member countries for rapid access to information related to international mail operations of other postal administrations,
Considering
how modern information technology can help to meet this need,
Noting
that the operational data on the UPU website are simply electronic reproductions of pages of UPU publications which are placed in different locations on the site and are often difficult to access,
Taking account
of recent advances in website design that have greatly improved capabilities for rapid access to information, as well as search features that allow better navigation through websites,
Instructs
the International Bureau to draw up guidelines and prepare a dossier for redesigning the website, under the direction of the POC, and to make an estimate of the resources necessary for recasting and managing the website in future. The study should cover the following aspects in particular:
? the possibility of compiling information in UPU compendia and publications, documents and lists into database systems which would standardize the information presented and take advantage of recent advances in website design;
? the advisability of employing recent advances in website design to improve the user interface with frequently updated databases to facilitate better access to needed information;
? regular updates of the site with information about the exchange of international mail submitted to the International Bureau by the administrations of Union member countries and, as appropriate, the CA and the POC;
? adaptation of the site, whenever necessary, to assist postal administrations in complying with new developments in operational requirements for the exchange of i nternational mail (for example, desired methods for return of empty equipment or links to information about recent changes in government regulations).
Reasons. ? Currently, operational information about the exchange of international mail between member administrations is spread out over many UPU compendia, guides, lists and documents. To some extent, the design of the UPU website electronically reflects the dispersed nature of this information. This proposal aims to take advantage of current industry standards in website design, website links, information databases and search engines to make this information more accessible on the present UPU website (www.upu.int) or on a new UPU website specifically designed to meet the needs of operational managers.
Under this proposal, the International Bureau would take an active role in either redesigning the current UPU website, or designing a separate operational website to achieve the following goals:
? concentrate and standardize existing operational information through incorporation into appropriate databases;
? develop an interface that allows access to those databases which not only streamlines the retrieval process but also employs wider use of search features to guide the user;
? add helpful links to other websites and information databases where needed; and
? maintain and update the features of the UPU website when new information is provided by member administrations or other national or international authorities.
The design and maintenance of the EMS Cooperative's "EMS Operational Guide" website is a good example of what this proposal seeks to achieve.
This website would need to be updated with information about new requirements (either global or member-specific) related to the exchange of international mail. An example of a global requirement would be recent changes in UPU regulations that seek information about each administration's desired methods for the return of empty equipment. An example of a member-specific requirement might be information about changes in Customs regulations regarding mail imports in a particular country.
This proposal envisions that the International Bureau would draft the guiding principles and a business case for the website redesign under the guidance of the Postal Operations Council. The International Bureau would also develop an estimate for funding the website redesign and subsequent maintenance which would be submitted to the Council of Administration for approval.
The UPU publications containing information that could feature on this website would include the following:
? Compendium of Information (Letter Post);
? Compendium of Information (Parcel Post);
? Compendium of Information (Transit);
? Compendium of Information (Postal Payment Services);
? Customer Guide for International Postal Shipments and Customs Matters;
? Operations Guide for International Postal Shipments and Customs Matters;
? General List of Airmail Services (List CN 68);
? List of Prohibited Articles;
? List of Airmail Distances;
? List of Registered Extraterritorial Offices of Exchange (ETOEs);
? List of International Mail Processing Centres (IMPC) Codes;
? Compendium of Delivery Standards;
? UPU Code Lists;
? UPU Standards Glossary;
? Catalogue of UPU Standards.
Links and search engine features could be developed to navigate and access operational information from other UPU publications, such as the following:
? Letter Post Manual;
? Parcel Postal Manual;
? Postal Payment Services Manual;
? Technical Standards Manual;
? Message Development Guide;
? International Postal Parcels Service Accounting Guide.
Links could also be established to websites or database resources that require special user names and passwords such as the following:
? EMS Operational Guide;
? Universal POST*Code? DataBase website;
? Selected Postal Security Action Group websites such as eMaria;
? International organizations that perform postal-related work, such as the World Customs Organization;
? Websites related to postal trade unions.
The focus of this proposal is to improve access to operational information related to the exchange of international mail that the International Bureau regularly communicates to postal administrations through UPU publications. If developed, the design of this "operational" website could serve as the prototype for other functional areas of interest to UPU member countries (for example, accounting, finance or technical cooperation).
Proposal of a general nature
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CANADA, JAPAN, SPAIN, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
048 |
Resolution
Extraterritorial offices of exchange (ETOEs)
Congress,
Recognizing
that, for the purpose of this resolution, an extraterritorial office of exchange (ETOE) is defined as an office or facility operated by or in connection with a postal operator outside its national territory, on the territory of another country, and that these offices are established by postal operators for commercial purposes to draw business in markets outside their own national territory,
Noting
that the issue of ETOEs has been extensively studied within the Universal Postal Union in recent years,
Noting further
that, as a result of the discussion on the issue of ETOEs during the 2001 CA session, a provisional measure was adopted as resolution CA 17/2001, which confirmed that the Acts of the Union did not at present contain provisions for settling ETOE-related questions, and which protected the revenues of postal administrations that delivered items dispatched by ETOEs,
Recognizing
that the CA subsequently adopted resolution CA 2/2003 as a provisional measure, until Congress took a decision on ETOEs, whereby any UPU member country seeking to establish an ETOE must obtain the agreement of the host country of the ETOE, according to the host country's legislation,
Recognizing further
that national legislation or policy has thus far been expected to determine whether items dispatched from ETOEs are to be treated as mail under the UPU Acts,
Aware
that the absence of a UPU decision in the matter may cause economic distortions in relations between administrations as regards remuneration of the administration of destination for items sent by ETOEs,
Considering
that the compensation currently received under terminal dues is premised on the mutual exchange of mails in carrying out the universal service obligation, and that this compensation does not necessarily cover the related costs of the delivering administration, particularly in industrialized countries,
Considering further
that this issue will not be equitably resolved in the medium term, to the point where compensation for one-way traffic will be adequate for the delivering administration in all circumstances,
Recognizing
that, according to the DC tariff questionnaire sent out by the Terminal Dues Action Group in 2002, a majority of postal administrations in developing countries report that domestic rates do not cover their costs, meaning that they provide insufficient remuneration compared with terminal dues,
Decides that
i ETOEs are not in the same situation as postal administrations executing universal service obligations under the UPU Acts;
ii items sent from ETOEs are considered commercial items not subject to the UPU Acts, unless the destination postal administration has announced a policy agreeing to apply those Acts to the items it receives from ETOEs;
iii the dispatch of items via an ETOE shall not result in a decrease of the remuneration that the destination postal administration would receive for the delivery of those items (including, where applicable, the payment for the Quality of Service Fund provided for in article 26bis of the Convention);
iv items tendered by ETOEs
a shall be treated according to the national policy of the destination country,
b may be treated in accordance with the rates, terms and conditions of acceptance for domestic postal products, or
c may be charged terminal dues if the destination postal administration has announced a policy to apply the UPU Acts to items tendered by ETOEs,
v the commercial customs clearance procedures of the destination country shall apply to items sent from ETOEs, unless the destination postal administration has agreed to apply the UPU Acts;
vi no documentation provided for under the Acts of the UPU may be used for any purposes relating to items sent from ETOEs to the postal administration of the destination country, including for purposes relating to airlines, to Customs and to other parties, unless the destination postal administration has agreed to apply the UPU Acts,
Further decides
that the agreement of any UPU member country must be obtained, in accordance with its national legislation, by any other countries or operators seeking to establish ETOEs within that country,
Invites
member countries to advise the International Bureau of national legislation or policy that makes the operation of an ETOE on its territory illegitimate or unauthorized,
Instructs
the Postal Operations Council and the International Bureau to adopt procedures enabling the issue and withdrawal of International Mail Processing Centre (IMPC) codes in a manner consistent with the provisions of this resolution, including the requirement for ETOE operators to obtain the agreement of the member country in which they are seeking to establish an ETOE,
Declares
that nothing in this resolution may be construed as requiring an administration to accept items from any ETOEs as mail under the UPU Acts.
Reasons. ? This proposal is based on the one the four co-author countries put forward to the February 2004 Council of Administration (CA) session in the form of a CA resolution. A majority of CA members felt that Congress itself should decide on the ETOE issue. It is time for Congress to fully consider this resolution and to adopt it.
Since the two resolutions on ETOEs adopted by the CA in 2001 and 2003 were provisional in nature until Congress takes a decision, the operative parts of these resolutions were incorporated into this Resolution 048.
This resolution text is in fact a development of the text in proposal 07. The latter is a resolution put forward to Congress by the CA which was originally presented by Canada in the context of work on ETOEs conducted by a group, led by Brazil, under the CA Management of the Work of the Union Project Team. The co-author countries ? including Canada ? support the present resolution (048) rather than resolution 07, and encourage other member countries at Congress to do so as well.
Resolution 048 would clearly establish that items sent from ETOEs are considered commercial items not subject to the Acts of the UPU. Destination postal administrations would have the possibility of applying their own policies with respect to the acceptance of ETOE items either under domestic rates or under terminal dues rates. This means that, for example, developing countries that do not cover their costs with domestic rates may adopt policies to charge terminal dues rates (including applicable Quality of Service Fund payments) instead of domestic rates. In addition, this resolution accommodates the concerns of countries that might be under a legal obligation to accept items from ETOEs under terminal dues or other multilateral arrangements.
This resolution also calls for the adoption of enabling procedures consistent with the requirement for ETOEs to obtain the agreement of the government before ETOEs are established within that country's territory.
This resolution clearly distinguishes between "ETOEs" which are established for commercial purposes and other types of exchange offices set up by one country on the territory of another for operational purposes only and with the agreement of the host country. Operators of such facilities should inform other UPU member countries of these facilities, and UPU members should not treat mail from such facilities as commercial ETOE traffic.
Supported by. ? Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras (Rep.), Jamaica, Mexico, Portugal, Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
Proposal of a general nature
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ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, CANADA, CHILE, MEXICO, PORTUGAL, SPAIN, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
056.Rev 1 |
Resolution
Combatting terrorism
Congress,
Reaffirming
the UPU's solidarity with and commitment to the resolutions by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly in response to terrorism,
Noting
UPU participation in the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee and its affirmation of the resolutions adopted by this body,
Deeply concerned
by the devastating political and economic effects of the /?/ terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and 11 March 2004 in Madrid, amongst others, as well as the October 2001 mail-borne biological attacks in the United States of America and the impact of these events on the current and future activities of UN common-system organizations, including the Universal Postal Union,
Acknowledging
that the criminal acts of terrorists may take many forms, strike against innocent people, and use means unanticipated by authorities,
Recognizing
that the global postal network may provide the means to transport bombs, biological substances, radiological agents and other dangerous goods at the hands of terrorists or other criminal elements,
Strongly urges
Union member administrations:
? to commit appropriate resources to postal security initiatives;
? to reinforce or create, as appropriate, postal security units with the aim of coordinating their security activities with the UPU in the global fight against terrorism;
? to develop contingency and continuation of operation plans for mail processing centres and international offices of exchange in the event that mails are suspected of being used to transport illicit biological, chemical, or radiological substances; and
? to establish close working contacts with appropriate national, regional and local medical, first-responder and public health officials to prepare for incidents in which the mails are used to convey illicit biological, chemical, or radiological substances,
Instructs
the Postal Operations Council and Council of Administration to give priority attention to combatting the use of the Post as a vehicle for terrorism.
Reasons. ? Unfortunately, terrorists attacks are not restricted to a single country; nor is mail-borne biological attack the only means for terrorists to misuse the mail: letter and parcel bombs provide a further option.
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SPAIN |
057 |
Resolution
Participation of Advisory Group members
Congress,
Recalling
that the Advisory Group duly constituted in pursuance of Beijing Congress resolution C 105/1999 has met regularly at the same time as the Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council plenaries since 2000,
Aware
that the non-governmental members of the Advisory Group have regularly participated in the Plenary and Committee meetings of the Council of Administration and the Postal Operations Council pursuant to resolutions CA 13/2001 and CEP 4/2002,
Noting
that the Advisory Group will be replaced by the Consultative Committee immediately on its creation by this Congress,
In view of the fact
that the non-governmental members of the Advisory Group will automatically become members of the Consultative Committee,
Recalling
that the Council of Administration wished to ensure that the non-governmental members of the Advisory Group are able to participate as observers in the meetings of this Congress,
Bearing in mind
the need to ensure that their participation is facilitated from the very beginning of this Congress,
Noting
that the Director General of the International Bureau has already sent invitations to the non-governmental members of the Advisory Group to attend this Congress, pursuant to the instructions of the Council of Administration,
Decides
to invite the non-governmental members of the Advisory Group to participate in this Congress as observers until such time as the proposals on the creation of the Consultative Committee and the admission of observers are adopted and they become eligible to attend the meetings of this Congress and its Committees in their own right, in accordance with the decisions of this Congress.
Reasons. ? The series of proposals on the creation of the Consultative Committee and the admission, as observers, of the non-governmental members of the Consultative Committee to this Congress and its Committees cannot be dealt with by Congress Committee 3 until its first meeting on 16 September 2004. The Director General of the International Bureau has already sent invitations to the non-governmental members of the Advisory Group to attend this Congress, so they will be in Bucharest on the opening day of Congress. In order to avoid any difficulty in their attending the first business plenary of this Congress on the afternoon of 15 September 2004 and the meeting of Committee 3 on 16 September before the approval of the proposals creating the Consultative Committee and the admission of its members as observers, this resolution should be adopted at the very beginning of the plenary meeting on 15 September. It is important for Congress to run smoothly for member countries and for those attending Congress in some cases for the first time, now that the road forward has been prepared through the efforts of the High Level Group and the Advisory Group, together with both UPU Councils.
Supported by. ? Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia and the United States of America.
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PORTUGAL |
062 |
Continuation of development cooperation work by means of twinning projects
Congress,
Aware
that the sustained development of postal administrations makes a decisive contribution to strengthening the social and economic development of each country,
Also aware
that various international and regional organizations have been adopting twinning projects as a way of effectively improving development cooperation,
Noting
that the experience of twinning projects has proved to be a privileged medium for the sustainable improvement and strengthening of organizational and operational competences,
Likewise noting
that during the period 1999?2004, a number of twinning projects were started within the UPU, and that such projects need to be developed by introducing clear, systematic methods for analyzing their viability, monitoring their implementation and controlling the results afterwards,
Recognizing
that twinning projects will be a determining factor in the regional approach that is recommended for development cooperation within the UPU,
Urges
? UPU member countries to participate actively in twinning projects;
? Restricted Unions to design twinning projects and encourage their members to take an active part in such projects,
Charges
the Council of Administration and the Postal Operations Council, in collaboration with the International Bureau:
? to systematically proceed with setting up twinning projects between postal administrations, taking into consideration the need to carefully select the priority areas of action and to judiciously determine the potential candidates, bearing in mind their respective development stages;
? to promote awareness among possible donors and funding or sponsoring institutions, thus encouraging their collaboration in specifying the project objectives and in the actions to be carried out within each project;
? to continuously involve the Restricted Unions and the Regional Advisers in the design, setting up and follow up of the twinning projects.
Reasons. ? The development, by means of twinning, of projects and activities in different fields of action has very often achieved positive results and offers potential advantages compared with other cooperation methods. Inter alia, the results of such projects show a sustained increase in the professional and technical competences of the target organizations. This kind of project started in the UPU under POC Committee 3 during the period 1999?2004 and should be systematically developed in the next period between Congresses. This will require optimized management of all resources, of the funding and viability of the projects to be implemented, of the process of selecting the postal administrations to be twinned, of the subjects to be selected and of local support, as well as careful control of the results achieved. Development cooperation using the twinning method will thus be a further efficient tool in bridging the postal gap that still exists between postal administrations.
Supported by. ? Brazil, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Mexico, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, United States of America and Uruguay.
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PORTUGAL |
065 |
Resolution
Continuation of work on strategic planning
Congress,
Aware
? that the work on strategic planning developed within the UPU during the period 1999?2004 ? which included the allocation of priorities to the objectives and tactics of the Beijing Postal Strategy, their respective clarification and the recommendation to establish key performance indicators ? has been of the utmost importance;
? that the above-mentioned work needs to be kept up and that gearing the Programme and Budget towards measurable results and careful, transparent allocation of budgetary resources ? which are increasingly scarce ? would be of significant benefit to the work of the UPU;
? that the Bucharest World Postal Strategy to be presented to Congress defines general objectives and programmes for the next four years, meaning there is a need, on the basis of the aforementioned Strategy, to develop work which pursues and fosters results-based budgeting and results-based management methodologies,
Recognizing
? that the above-mentioned methodologies and their successful use in other United Nations organizations have already been promoted and understood among the UPU's permanent bodies and that their step-by-step implementation has already been recommended;
? that this recommendation will decisively contribute to ensuring that the concepts of priorities, performance indicators, clear drafting of objectives and actions and clear and careful budgetary allocation with concrete and quantifiable measurement of results, will definitely be applied to the strategic planning activities of the Union,
Instructs
the Council of Administration and the Postal Operations Council, in collaboration with the International Bureau, within six months of the approval of the Bucharest World Postal Strategy, to:
? define the key performance indicators for each objective and programme as well as their respective values ? starting value and target at the end of the period ? so that the progress of each project implementation can be monitored effectively;
? detail in concrete and clearly specified actions the programmes defined in broad terms in Congr?s?Doc 46, for each responsible body;
? define priorities and/or principles to prioritize particular objectives, programmes and actions in order to facilitate the process of budgetary allocation of resources, to allow a well-balanced decision and results-oriented actions;
? establish the actions, intermediate deliverables, schedule and persons responsible for results-based management within the UPU in order to achieve their full implementation by 2008 and their use in the process of implementing the World Postal Strategy for the post-2008 period.
Reasons. ? It has been well recognized that the work developed by the Strategic Planning Group, with the fundamental support of the International Bureau, on allocating priorities to the objectives and tactics of the Beijing Postal Strategy has been instrumental in the implementation of that Strategy.
Moreover, the study on results-based budgeting and results-based management methodologies and their potential use in the planning activities of the Union have led to an increasing awareness that such methodologies are of the utmost importance in helping to foster a growing and necessary focus on results. In fact, such methodologies were, in the 1999?2004 period, widely promoted amongst the permanent bodies of the UPU, and their implementation is clearly referred to in the resolution on strategic planning activities (015) to be presented to Congress.
It is recognized that there is still much to be done in terms of implementing such methodologies, and so this resolution aims to list a set of indispensable actions which have to be carried out over a limited period of time and jointly by all permanent bodies of the UPU, in order to progressively implement the concept of results-based management in the UPU's planning activities, as recommended by resolution 015.
Supported by. ? Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, United States of America and Uruguay.
Proposal of a general nature
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PORTUGAL |
068 |
Recommendation
Adoption of the eMARIA computer application by UPU member countries
Congress,
Noting
? that it is necessary to have a reliable method adopted internationally, within the framework of postal security, for collecting and processing international mail irregularity data;
? that the advantages resulting from a large number of countries using the same method are enormous,
Acknowledging
? that a computer application, known as eMARIA, developed as part of the work of the Postal Security Action Group (PSAG), has been widely tested in several regions;
? that, following the above-mentioned tests, the eMaria computer application has proved to be a simple, safe and effective way of keeping a global database of international mail irregularity data,
Considering
? that the eMARIA computer application is already in practical use, in a number of countries;
? that the greater the number of countries using it, the more efficient it will become,
Considering further
that it is vital for as many UPU member countries as possible to adopt this application,
Recommends
? that postal administrations adopt the eMARIA computer application as the standard application for the collection and treatment of international mail irregularities, in terms of security;
? that postal administrations which adopted computer applications, other than eMARIA for the collection and treatment of international mail irregularity data, within the framework of security should establish an interface connection with the global database, to enable them to access it and receive information,
Chargesthe Postal Operations Council, through the PSAG, in collaboration with the International Bureau
to:
? update and supervise all the changes considered necessary to guarantee that the eMARIA computer application meets the security needs of postal administrations in the area of international mail;
? publicize the advantages of the eMARIA computer application, encouraging those postal administrations which have not yet adopted it, to do so;
? support postal administrations using other applications in creating an interface connection to the global database, so that the maximum number of countries can access the information.
Reasons. ? The eMARIA computer application developed by the Postal Security Action Group has proved to be an extremely efficient tool in the tracking and collection of international mail irregularities. As such, and aiming at significant harmonization in terms of security and reliability of mail flows worldwide, it is utterly justified to recommend its adoption by all UPU member countries as the UPU standard application.
Supported by. ? Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States of America, and Uruguay.
Proposal of a general nature
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
20. 0.9.Rev 1 |
Resolution
Comprehensive review of UPU operational and accounting procedures
Congress,
Aware
that the use of computers in the exchange of international mail and inter-administration settlement of accounts has become increasingly common in recent years, to the extent that some administrations no longer use paper documentation for inter-administration payments for some classes of mail, such as EMS,
Recognizing
that the Postal Operations Council, through its Standards Board and other groups, has developed technical standards for the exchange of international mail that are attracting broad use by postal administrations as well as by delivery agents, airlines, Customs authorities and other stakeholders,
Taking into account
that the Postal Operations Council has successfully developed and promoted actions to increase the use of computer data for the exchange of mail, for example through the work of the EMS Cooperative, the Telematics Cooperative and the Postal Security Action Group,
Observing
that the use of computer transmissions, data and files by postal administrations is uneven, so that a widening gap has arisen between those administrations that rely heavily on the use of computers in their exchange of international mail and those that mainly use the paper-based UPU forms and documentation,
Highlighting
that the exchange of electronic data pertaining to mail among postal administrations and other stakeholders serves to expedite operational handling, reduce administrative costs, facilitate payments and improve supply chain security,
Convinced
that the long-term goal of the UPU should be to effect a transition from paper-based documentation to computer data to document the exchange of international mail, and that the development of a comprehensive set of operational and accounting procedures based on the exchange of computer data would be essential for the UPU to achieve this goal,
Instructs
the Postal Operations Council, in collaboration with the Council of Administration, to:
? carry out a comprehensive review of the procedures concerning postal operations and inter-administration settlement of accounts in order to distinguish those procedures that are based on the transmission of EDI messages or the exchange of computer files, such as spreadsheets or PDF documents, from those based on traditional UPU forms;
? identify all stakeholders involved in these procedures, such as postal administrations, carriers (airlines, shipping lines, road transporters, railroads), Customs authorities, delivery agents, etc.;
? draft a comprehensive set of operational and accounting procedures based strictly on the exchange of EDI transmissions or computer files, developing new or supplementary procedures where they do not yet exist, either in the Convention or the Regulations, as UPU standards or in other UPU documentation. These procedures should include the exchange of electronic data among all stakeholders that handle mail, including postal administrations, carriers, Customs authorities, delivery agents, etc.;
? make proposals about how the data in the current global networks, such as POST*Net, GXS and eMaria, could be combined into a single database or how the data could be managed in such a way that from the user's perspective, the data appear to reside in a single database, and taking into account proper authorization and authentication for access to data;
? carry out a further recast of the Convention and Regulations, if necessary, based on the conclusions of this work.
Reasons. ? This proposal attempts to address several serious issues related to the exchange of international mail by postal administrations and other stakeholders. These issues arise from the fact that the networks used for the exchange of international mail are not connected to one another and therefore can be difficult to use in concert; that the UPU should facilitate simplification and ease of use for migration from paper to electronic documentation; and that there is a need for a comprehensive review of all UPU operational and accounting procedures from the perspective of computer transmission of data. Further, there is a growing gap between those administrations that mainly use computers to document and account for international mail and those that use paper-based UPU forms for these purposes. Action by the UPU is urgently needed to narrow this gap to resolve the day-to-day practical problems in the exchange of international mail that this situation has engendered. While implementation of operational and accounting procedures related to the exchange of electronic data may require initial investments, these investments will ultimately be outweighed by the benefits of a more efficient international mail network, faster payments among postal administrations and other stakeholders, reduced administrative costs of handling burdensome paperwork, and improvements in supply-chain security.
Currently, a number of disconnected systems perform functions related to the exchange of international mail. Examples are the POST*Net/GXS network for EMS item level tracking and PREDES2/RESDES transmissions; eMARIA for tracking mail losses; "Rugby" for EMS call centre functions; the pilot systems currently in operation for recording and transmitting customs declaration data; and the newly-created UPU*Clearing system for settlement of accounts. Serious thought and planning should be given to linking access to the data generated by these systems so that they are, or appear to be, one network and system and that, for example, a postal accountant settling accounts could reference records of mail losses, or the weight of mail dispatched, without exiting the account settlement application.
If there is to be a single network of systems that would unite all the data employed in the exchange of international mail, then logically the operational and accounting procedures used by postal administrations and other relevant stakeholders ? some of which have not significantly changed since the late 19th century ? need to be completely revised so they are aligned with these systems.
This task of reviewing all current UPU operational and accounting procedures and developing, as needed, a comprehensive set of procedures based on transmission of computer data and files would be a major undertaking for the POC. A team of experts in operations, including Customs procedures, and accounting for international mail from several countries would most likely be needed to carry out this work. Development of this comprehensive set of procedures to record the exchange of international mail is urgently needed if the UPU is to assist postal administrations in making the transition from paper-based documentation to transmission of computer data.
Supported by. ? Honduras (Rep.).
Convention ? Proposal of a general nature
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BAHAMAS, BARBADOS, CANADA, FRANCE, GRENADA, GUYANA, JAMAICA, SAINT CHRISTOPHER (ST. KITTS) AND NEVIS, SAINT LUCIA, SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
20. 0.11.Rev 2 |
Resolution
Classification of countries for the purposes of the Quality of Service Fund
Congress,
Having adopted
the basic provisions of the UPU terminal dues system,
Considering
that Beijing Congress resolution C 32/1999 instructed the Council of Administration to determine a system of country classification for the purposes of terminal dues based on postal-specific criteria,
Noting
that due to time constraints, the 1999?2004 Councils and the International Bureau were unable to carry out the specific instruction of Beijing Congress resolution C 32/1999 and, as a short term measure, have instructed a classification which does not take into account postal infrastructure development as an important element in classifying countries and territories for the purposes of having access to the Quality of Service Fund,
Noting as well
that some countries most in need of the QSF will be denied access to this Fund under the new system, and will eventually have to be contributors,
Instructs
the Council of Administration to:
? defer implementation of the reclassification for net contributing countries (NCCs) that received less than 65,000 USD for the year 2002 in quality of service funds until completion of the studies referred to below;
? carry out full and adequate studies to determine an acceptable system of classification of countries, taking into full consideration the following:
i the special needs of small countries/territories i.e. small island developing countries/territories and land-locked countries/territories in similar circumstances;
ii the need to ensure that quality is improved in all regions of the UPU system;
iii the extent to which regular terminal dues payments are retained by postal administrations and used to enhance quality of service.
Supported by. ? Cuba and Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
Convention ? Proposal of a general nature
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
20. 0.20 |
Resolution
Terminal dues
Proposed addition to Page 2:
Instructs
the Postal Operations Council to perform the following work:
a Economic studies
? develop methodologies for converting a postal administration's domestic tariffs or costs into terminal dues rates, which are consistent with the principles established by the Council of Administration;
? define the relation between terminal dues and costs based on the following principle:
- terminal dues must, at a minimum, cover marginal costs and also make a reasonable contribution to the fixed and common costs of the destination postal administration;
? determine the relation between domestic tariffs and costs in the member countries of the Union to establish the appropriate percentage or percentages of tariffs and mixture of rates to apply as terminal dues.
Reasons. ? The purpose of this amendment is to define at least a minimum level of cost recovery for all destination countries for delivery of inbound international mail, as well as to ensure that terminal dues payments are based on reasonable country-specificcosts, rather than a single percentage of one domestic rate (i.e., the 20-gramme letter rate) as is currently the case today for industrialized country terminal dues. The amendment would add a further clarification to the work of the POC regarding the economic studies in sub-paragraph a) found on page 2 of proposal 20. 0.3.
The first paragraph of Convention Article 24, containing the general provisions on terminal dues, provides that each destination administration shall have the right to collect a payment for the costs incurred for the international mail it receives. For more than three decades since terminal dues were created in 1969, there has been extensive debate on how to define these costs. The United States amendment to proposal 20. 0.3 on future terminal dues work within the UPU would base the relationship between terminal dues and costs on the principle that terminal dues must, at a minimum, cover marginal costs and also make a reasonable contribution to the fixed and common costs of the destination postal administration.
Regarding the addition of the words "or percentages" in the following paragraph, the United States has long maintained that applying the same percentage of domestic rates (or tariffs) to all industrialized countries (ICs) does not give a true reflection of each IC's delivery costs. Each IC, as well as each developing country (DC), sets its domestic rates using a different methodology.
? For some ICs, domestic rates still do not cover their costs (three ICs out of 14 replies to the IC cost questionnaire). This is also the case for nearly two thirds of DCs which replied to the cost questionnaire that their domestic rates did not cover their costs.
? In other ICs ? such as the United States ? domestic rates are set on a break-even basis to cover costs only.
? And in other ICs still, rates are set to include a sometimes substantial profit margin and a high rate of value-added taxes.
Current IC domestic rates range from a low of 0.27 USD to a high of 0.88 USD. Applying any one percentage ? whether 60%, 64% or 68% ? to this range will not give a true reflection of delivery costs. In order to achieve a truly country-specific, cost-based system, the appropriate percentage of each country's domestic rates should be determined by the POC.
Supported by. ? Australia and Canada.
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CANADA |
20. 11.4.Rev 1 |
Create the following new paragraph 1.2bis:
1.2bis the Electronic Post Mark, which provides evidentiary proof of an electronic event, in a given form, at a given time, and involving one or more parties.
Reasons. ? The current articles do not support the ongoing Telematics Cooperative activities for Electronic Post Mark development. This new paragraph provides the UPU with the appropriate framework to further the development of Electronic Post Mark services. Participation in the Electronic Post Mark service is optional. This is a no risk opportunity for UPU members to seize. The only risk comes with not putting the Electronic Post Mark definition in the Universal Postal Convention, because that will likely set Posts back in terms of developing the Electronic Post Mark service.
Electronic Post Mark brings trust and integrity to electronic transactions. It will help Posts keep pace with the changing communications market, and give them a huge advantage in territory that is not yet claimed. By enabling Posts to develop new products and evolve with the technology, Electronic Post Mark also allows them to offer more efficient and modern postal services.
Posts are in a unique position to offer Electronic Post Mark because they are neutral, independent third parties who have the public trust. Posts also have other advantages, such as retail locations accessible to all residents of a country like no other enterprise.
Information Technology leaders have strongly endorsed Electronic Post Mark. They have turned to the Posts because they are the most logical choice to be trusted service providers in this area. It is also practical for them to work with the UPU on a global standard for Electronic Post Mark and digital identification instead of working individually with over 180 Posts around the world. Technology companies are integrating Electronic Post Mark into popular desktop applications. This will help the Posts establish their position in markets around the world, since these applications are on more than 900 million desktop computers.
The UPU Technical Standards Board approved the Electronic Post Mark standard in October 2003. It was developed in collaboration with several Posts, including Canada Post and the US Postal Service. Congress will permit Electronic Post Mark to develop even further by establishing it as an optional postal product covered under Article 11 of the Convention.
This will make it a consistent product that all administrations can use and recognize. There will be a UPU-branded default Electronic Post Mark service available to countries that do not have their own Electronic Post Mark service. This will also ensure that cross-border electronic transactions see the same cooperation that has allowed mail to flow seamlessly across borders for years.
Since Congress will be held only once every four years, it is important that the Bucharest Congress ratify Electronic Post Mark as an official postal product. This move will support Posts as they work to have domestic legislation recognize Electronic Post Mark. Even for Posts who do not currently have plans to implement Electronic Post Mark, adopting this proposal at this Congress preserves the opportunity to invest in Electronic Post Mark as conditions in domestic markets change and Electronic Post Mark business spreads.
Supported by. ? Australia, Brazil, Chile, Finland, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden and the United States of America.
Convention ? Proposal
Article 12
Items not admitted. Prohibitions
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
20. 12.2.Rev 1 |
Create the following new paragraph 3.1.2bis:
3.1.2bis flies of the family Drosophilidae for biomedical research.
Reasons. ? The fly Drosophila melanogaster is widely used in biomedical research. Hundreds of research laboratories in more than forty countries use this organism for important scientific studies, and the sharing of fly strains between laboratories is absolutely essential to research progress. Closely related fly species of the family Drosophilidae are also intensively studied. Nevertheless, the mailing of fly samples between countries is not permitted by letter post under the Universal Postal Convention.
In biomedical research, relatively few organisms can be grown easily in a laboratory setting. A worldwide community of scientists has grown up around the use of this remarkable insect for exploring biological processes. In order for scientists to build on the results of other scientists, they need access to both published information and the fly strains generated in the course of genetic research. Consequently, a robust tradition of exchanging fly strains exists within the Drosophila research community.
The growth of interest in Drosophila as a "model organism" for biomedical research has been strong in recent years with many new laboratories devoted to studying flies being founded yearly. In future, we will see important advances in human medicine developing directly from discoveries in the fly. All of these advances depend on the ability of researchers to exchange living fly samples. Given the trends in scientific research, it is important for scientists worldwide to have access to samples of fly species closely related to Drosophila melanogaster. Consequently, all species of the family Drosophilidae need to be included in the list of mailable animals in the Universal Postal Convention.
Flies in the family Drosophilidae have no deleterious economic impact. They do not attack growing produce in the manner of flies from other taxonomic families such as the "Med fly" of the family Tephriditae. The U.S. Department of Agriculture does not list them as plant pests. Flies from this family are not recognized as vectors for human or animal diseases. They do not bite or sting. These flies do not pose a hazard to postal workers or the public.
The fly species of interest to biomedical research can be shipped easily in plastic vials containing artificial fly food. The vials are typically stoppered with tight-fitting cotton or cellulose acetate plugs. Fly larvae survive transportation better than adults, so cultures often travel with no mature adults once eggs are deposited on the food. When the vials are properly packaged in a sealed box, the chance of flies escaping is negligible. Cultures can easily survive for three to four weeks in a box as long as they encounter no extreme temperatures. There are no strong odours associated with fly cultures.
Article 12 of the Universal Postal Convention was written to allow economically important invertebrate organisms to be mailed by letter post. The exclusion of research model invertebrate organisms is an unfortunate, but easily remedied, situation. Amending article 12 to allow the international mailing of flies of the family Drosophilidae would have no negative consequences and would foster scientific progress worldwide.
Supported by. ? Aruba, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Convention ? Proposal
Article 14
Inquiries
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
20. 14.8.Rev 1 |
Paragraph 1. Amend as follows:
1 Each postal administration shall be bound to accept inquiries relating to any registered, insured, or recorded delivery item posted in the service of its own administration or any other administration provided that the inquiries are presented within a period of six months from the day after that on which the item was posted.
Reasons. ? The Convention currently compels administrations to conduct inquiries about articles notwithstanding whether they are combined with special services, such as registered, insured, or recorded delivery mail. This amendment would relieve receiving administrations of processing inquiries about ordinary mail, which is difficult to track. Billions of pieces of mail are exchanged among UPU members, and it is burdensome to require administrations to process inquiries on ordinary items.
Supported by. ? Bahamas, Canada, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
Article 23
Posting abroad of letter-post items
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
20. 23.3 |
Create the following new paragraph 4bis:
4bis Nothing in this article shall authorize or compel the administration of destination to accept items tendered by i) providers other than an administration dispatching items from within the territorial boundaries of the UPU member country in which it offers universal service, or ii) providers that do not offer reciprocity for exchange of letter-post items.
Reasons. ? Some postal administrations have asserted that since article 23 creates remedial measures for ABC remail, then it must also contemplate remedies for receipt of items tendered by extraterritorial offices of exchange (ETOEs). As background, an ETOE is an office or facility, operated by or in connection with a postal operator, outside its home territory in the territory of another country. A common ETOE practice is for a business affiliated with a postal administration to establish operations outside the postal administration's home territory. The ETOE tenders items to other postal administrations, but does not offer a reciprocal exchange service. This proposed amendment would make clear that defenders of ETOE practices cannot avail themselves of article 23 as a source of authority to compel receiving administrations to accept items tendered by ETOEs under the UPU Acts. Such authority, if any, should be derived from explicit provisions in the Acts addressing the practices of ETOEs.
Supported by. ? Aruba, Honduras (Rep.).
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AUSTRALIA |
20. 24.3 |
Paragraphs 4.2 to 4.3.1. Delete.
Reasons. ? Access to domestic rates should be made available by all countries. Failing to provide access to domestic rates will risk mail bypassing the Universal Postal Union system and being inserted directly into alternative networks. Providing access to domestic rates will help ensure that a viable and successful international postal system in maintained.
Supported by. ? Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and United States of America.
Convention ? Proposal
Article 26
Terminal dues. Provisions applicable to mail flows to, from and between countries in the transitional system
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
20. 26.8 |
Paragraph 3. Amend as follows:
3 System harmonization mechanism
3.1 When an administration in the target system /?/ establishes that the annual weight of a mail flow received exceeds the threshold calculated in accordance with the conditions set out in the Letter Post Regulations, it may apply to the excess mail the payment system provided for in article 25, provided that it has not applied the revision mechanism.
3.2 When an administration in the transitional system /?/ establishes that the annual weight of a mail flow received from another country in the transitional system exceeds the threshold calculated in accordance with the conditions set out in the Letter Post Regulations, it may apply to the excess mail the supplement provided for in article 26bis, provided that it has not applied the revision mechanism.
Reasons. ? This amendment is proposed to minimize the problems of continuing arbitrage in the UPU terminal dues system between the target and transitional systems. It would eliminate the words "receiving a mail flow of over 50 tonnes a year" in order to prevent further abuses of the system that are detrimental to the interests of developing countries (DCs) and industrialized countries (ICs).
The Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU) terminal dues proposal called for a country-specific threshold to prevent DC?IC remailing and reduce arbitrage problems during the transition period. This amendment would introduce such a country-specific threshold, which would preserve the integrity of the terminal dues system and assure universal postal service at affordable rates.
If this 50-tonne condition is retained, it would mean that a large number of DCs can be used (and often abused) for DC?IC arbitrage for a "quota" of their small volumes up to 50 tonnes. The mail flow study showed that over 75% of all mail flows (number of flows) from DCs to ICs* are less than ten tonnes and 92% are under 50 tonnes. Retaining this 50-tonne condition would allow at least 40 tonnes of remail from each small-volume DC to each IC, and would divert target country mail volumes from the more cost-based, country-specific system. This disrupts the balance of the terminal dues system, is detrimental to the cost coverage of both the origin and destination countries, and can have a severe negative financial impact on developing countries if their mail is charged target country rates under bulk mail or 80% of full domestic tariffs under the provisions of article 23 governing ABC remail.
Supported by. ? Bahamas, Canada, Guyana, Honduras (Rep.), Jamaica, Saint Christopher
(St. Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
Article 31
Parcel post land and sea rates
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
20. 31.2 Amendment to proposal 20. 31.1 |
1bis Postal administrations which are unable to cover their costs by charging inward land rates set under paragraph 1 may set their inward land rates at a level necessary to cover their costs, in accordance with the separate procedures laid down in the Regulations.
Reasons. ? Amendment to Postal Operations Council proposal 20. 31.1.
While the 2004 Postal Operations Council approved a proposal for the setting of parcel-post inward land rates based on service features provided, this may not allow some Posts to recover the costs of providing the service. Postal administrations should be allowed to cover the costs of delivery for parcel-post items.
Supported by. ? Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
Convention, Final Protocol ? Proposal
Article I
Ownership of postal items. Withdrawal from the post. Alteration or correction of address
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
23. 1.1 |
4bis Article 3.2 shall not apply to the United States of America.
Reasons. ? Compliance with internal regulations.
Convention, Final Protocol ? Proposal
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
23. 21.91 |
Create the following new article XXIbis:
Article XXIbis
Supplementary services
1 Notwithstanding article 10.1.1, the United States of America shall not be obligated to offer registration service for non-priority items.
Reasons. ? Compliance with internal regulations.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
25. 149.4 |
Paragraphs 2.6 and 3. Amend as follows:
2.6 The first administration to receive the CN 08 form and accompanying documents from a customer shall invariably complete its investigations within ten days and forward the CN 08 form and accompanying documents to the corresponding administration. The form and documents shall be returned to the administration which originated the inquiry as soon as possible and at the latest within two months from the date of the original inquiry or within 30 days from the date of the original inquiry if the case was reported by fax or any other electronic means. Inquiries about insured, registered and recorded delivery items shall be accompanied by the addressee's declaration made out on a CN 18 form and certifying the non-receipt of the item under inquiry. After the corresponding period has elapsed, a reply shall be sent by fax, e-mail or any other means of telecommunication to the administration of origin, at the expense of the administration of destination. An addressee's declaration made out on a CN 18 form certifying non-receipt shall not be required for ordinary letter-post items.
3 Inquiries about /?/ recorded delivery items
3.1 to 3.2 (No change.)
Reasons. ? The Letter Post Regulations currently require administrations to obtain a written statement of non-receipt from the addressee for registered, insured, recorded delivery, and ordinary items. However, addressees often do not respond to requests to furnish these statements. Frequently, addressees return statements late or do not return the statements at all. This amendment would relieve receiving administrations of providing CN 18 statements for ordinary letter-post items. Inquiries could be returned as soon as a determination is made about a record of delivery for the item under inquiry. Billions of pieces of mail are exchanged among UPU members, and it is burdensome to require administrations to provide CN 18 statements for ordinary items. Revising the CN 18 requirement would assist administrations in responding to CN 08 inquiries on registered, insured, and recorded delivery items in a more timely manner.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
25. 172.4 |
Paragraph 2.4. Amend as follows:
2.4 Except as noted in 2.4.1, for the make-up of airmails, bags either entirely blue or with wide blue bands shall be used. In the absence of special agreement between the administrations concerned, the airmail bags shall also be used for priority mails. For making up surface mails or surface airlifted mails, surface bags of a colour other than that of the airmail bags (e.g. beige, brown, white, etc.) shall be used. Administrations of destination must, however, check all the bag labels in order to ensure correct processing.
2.4.1 Administrations that use a common mailbag for multiple purposes may use these bags in the make-up of mails for all the above categories as long as the bag labels correctly identify the category of mail contained with
Reasons. ? This provision would give postal administrations a greater range of options for mailbags used in the make-up of mail dispatches. This provision would not eliminate the use of colour of receptacle as an aid. Rather, it places primary emphasis on the information on the bag label to determine the category of mail contained within the mailbag.
Colour is not standardized for surface mail and does not serve to determine whether a mailbag contains surface mail or surface airlifted mail. Moreover, the increasing use of trays for exchanges of airmail has drawn attention to the importance of the colour of labels over the colour of the receptacle. Also, administrations may occasionally not have enough of a certain colour of mailbag to meet their dispatching needs.
Savings, through economies of scale, can be achieved if postal administrations use standardized sets of bags (for example, the same bags used domestically) for their international mails. If properly labelled, the contents of the bag can readily be identified for the purposes of processing without reference to the colour of the bag.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
25. 189.1 |
Paragraph 2.5. Amend as follows and create the following new paragraphs 2.5.1 and 2.5.2:
2.5 CN 38 or CN 41 bills which have been transmitted electronically by the air carrier may be accepted at the receiving exchange office if the two copies identified under 2.4 are not immediately available. In this case, two copies of the CN 38 or CN 41 bill must be signed by the air carrier representative at the destination airport prior to submission to the receiving administration. Except as noted in 2.5.1 or 2.5.2, one copy shall be signed by the receiving administration as a receipt for the mails and shall be kept by the air carrier. The second copy shall accompany the mails to the post office to which the CN 38 or CN 41 bill is addressed.
2.5.1 Administrations that have developed an electronic receipting system for mail dispatches that they receive from transport carriers may use the receipting records of that system instead of the CN 38 or CN 41 process described under 2.5. In lieu of the signed copy of the CN 38 or CN 41 forms, the receiving administration can provide the air carrier with a printed copy of the electronic receipting record for that dispatch.
2.5.2 Alternatively, administrations that exchange EDI messaging for mail dispatches and consignments may use the EDI receipt messages instead of the CN 38 or CN 41 process as described under 2.5. In lieu of the signed copy of the CN 38 or CN 41 forms, the receiving administration may transmit the EDI receipt message.
Reasons. ? The current process outlined in paragraph 2.5 is both paper-intensive and labour-intensive. Consequently, many administrations have already begun developing and deploying electronic systems that record the specifics of receipt of a mail dispatch. This amendment seeks to allow administrations to take advantage of the technical capabilities of these systems to streamline the process.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
25. 209.2.Rev 1 |
Amend the title and create the following new paragraph 6bis:
Calculation of the rates of terminal dues applicable to countries in the target system
6.1bis electronic pre-advice messages for all outbound dispatches, including the receptacle type, using UPU-standard receptacle codes and, where applicable, item identifiers for registered, insured and recorded delivery items;
6.2bis electronic confirmation messages for inbound dispatches that have been electronically pre-advised to them, including the receptacle type, using UPU-standard receptacle codes;
6.3bis UPU-standard messages only, as approved by the UPU Standards Board.Reasons. ? This proposal was revised subsequent to advice from certain Standards Board members asking that the references to specific message versions and names be removed from the provision in order to allow more flexibility in further development of UPU standards. The use of the 29-character UPU barcode on receptacles allows receiving administrations to utilize automated receipt systems and leads to improved communication between the sending and receiving administrations. The use of barcodes accelerates the process of capturing inbound weight data and, hence, the overall terminal dues settlement process. The transmission of electronic data interchange (EDI) messages provides advance notification to receiving administrations about the volume of inbound mail. Advance notification also provides information needed by customs authorities to facilitate clearance of mail and meet the growing supply-chain security requirements. The combination of the EDI messages and scanning of inbound receptacles also provides electronic receipt confirmation. These requirements impact on large-volume administrations only. This automated approach greatly reduces the paperwork involved for receiving administrations, as well as for dispatching administrations. IPS (International Postal System) and IPS Light provide the capability of producing barcodes and sending EDI transmissions for administrations currently lacking this important technology. Both systems are available to administrations through Quality of Service Fund projects.
NB. ? A separate article for the new provisions may be an alternative to their inclusion in article RL 209. This question could be considered by the Drafting Committee.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
25. 220.2 |
Paragraph 1.3. Amend as follows:
Reasons. ? Larger administrations with multiple exchange offices may wish to weight their statistical data using the census accounting weight controls provided by the CN 55 and CN 56 forms. Currently, due to limitations in consolidating inbound accounting weights for all transportation modes, the regulations do not require that the CN 55 and CN 56 forms be sent until six months after the end of a quarter. To assist in the monthly or quarterly weighting of sample data, the submission dates for both the CN 54 and CN 56 should be the same.
Paragraph 1.3 states that CN 54 statements shall be provided, whenever possible, in standardized electronic format. Despite this provision, to our knowledge no postal administrations currently actually submit CN 53 and CN 54 data in electronic format. This results in delays in reviewing data, especially when the estimates are in dispute. This proposal would specify that the electronic format in which forms CN 53 and CN 54 should be submitted would be that of commonly used spreadsheet software.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
25. 224.1 |
Paragraph 1. Amend as follows:
1 The CN 56 recapitulative statement shall be sent in duplicate to the administrations of origin of the mails within five months at the latest after the end of the quarter to which it relates.
Reasons. ? Larger administrations with multiple exchange offices may wish to weight their statistical data using the census accounting weight controls provided by the CN 55 and CN 56 forms. Currently, due to limitations in consolidating inbound accounting weights for all transportation modes, the regulations do not require that the CN 55 and CN 56 forms be sent until six months after the end of a quarter. To assist in the monthly or quarterly weighting of sample data, the submission dates for both the CN 54 and CN 56 forms should be the same.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
29. 53.1 |
Amend form CN 53 as follows:
? Add one column after the Receptacle number of the sample for receptacle type.
? Add one column at the end for the 29-character UPU standard S1?3 barcode symbology Code 128.
? Add a footnote to list standardized receptacle type codes for letter trays (PU), flat tubs (GU), bags (BG), and containers (CN).
Reasons. ? Pursuant to Letter Post Regulations, article RL 218 (formerly RE 1013). Alternative approach for statistical counts for exchanges of mail between industrialized countries: industrialized countries (ICs) may develop estimates of the number of items per kilogramme (ipk) based upon receptacle type. For exchanges utilizing letter trays, flat tubs, and LC/AO bags, the alternative approach improves the statistical precision of the estimates, as there is less fluctuation in estimates within receptacle type. Including the receptacle type on the CN 53 will support the use of this alternative approach. An IC using this approach may incorporate the receptacle type data in its CN 54 form.
As there is a wide variation in ipk estimates by receptacle type, especially between letter trays and other receptacle types, overall estimates can be skewed, for example, upward if a disproportionate amount of letter trays are sampled. In disputes of estimates under any of the methods outlined in Chapter 11, Section C, Sampling Operations, ICs may make certain assumptions of ipk ranges for each receptacle type in order to show a disproportionate amount of letter trays being sampled. However, including the receptacle type on the CN 53 form will eliminate the need for making these assumptions, which may be further cause for dispute.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
29. 56.1.Rev 1 |
Amend form CN 56 as follows:
? Place the "Third quarter" and "Fourth quarter" subheaders under the "First quarter" and "Second quarter" column.
? Create a new subheader column with the options "First month", "Second month", and "Third month".
? Insert a new row before "Total to be entered on CN 61 detailed account and, where appropriate, on CN 62 detailed account". The new row is to be entitled "Total to be entered on CN 54bis, actual weight for month".
? Make one page for each of the three months within a given quarter.
Reasons. ? Pursuant to article RL 217, "Statistical counts for exchanges of mail between industrialized countries", administrations develop estimates of the number of items per kilogramme (ipk) by weighting the average number of items computed separately for each transportation mode and month (article RL 217.2.1.1). "As an alternative, administrations may substitute ? quarter" (article RL 217.2.1.3). In order for the accepted monthly weights to readily reflect the accepted monthly ipks on form CN 54bis, form CN 56 must summarize the monthly weights.
A form CN 55 is completed for each exchange office and reflects the monthly weights received by that exchange office. For administrations with multiple exchange offices, multiple CN 55 forms are then listed on the form CN 56 to provide a quarterly total for all exchange offices. There is no monthly total for all exchange offices.
Countries applying quarterly ipks would need to use only the first page of the form. Countries applying monthly ipks would need to use three forms (one per month). In such a case, the quarterly weight would be shown with the third month.
If the majority of countries so prefer, the current CN 56 could be left as it is. The modified form could become CN 56bis and be used only for exchanges between countries in the target system.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
35. 143.4 |
Paragraph 4.6. Amend as follows:
4.6 The first administration to receive the CN 08 form and accompanying documents from a customer shall invariably complete its investigations within ten days and forward the CN 08 form and accompanying documents to the corresponding administration. The form and documents shall be returned to the administration which originated the inquiry as soon as possible and at the latest within two months from the date of the original inquiry or within 30 days from the date of the original inquiry if the case was reported by fax or any other electronic means. Inquiries about insured parcels shall be accompanied by the addressee's declaration made out on a CN 18 form and certifying the non-receipt of the item under inquiry. After the corresponding period has elapsed, a reply shall be sent by fax, e-mail or any other means of telecommunication to the administration of origin at the expense of the administration of destination. An addressee's declaration made out on a CN 18 form and certifying non-receipt shall not be required for ordinary parcels.
Reasons. ? The Parcel Post Regulations currently require administrations to obtain a written statement of non-receipt from the addressee for insured and ordinary parcels. For ordinary parcels, addressees often do not respond to requests to furnish these statements. Frequently, addressees return statements late or do not return the statements at all. This amendment would relieve receiving administrations of providing CN 18 statements on ordinary parcels. Inquiries could be returned as soon as it is determined whether or not a signature was obtained. Millions of parcels are exchanged among UPU members, and it is burdensome to require administrations to provide CN 18 statements for ordinary items. Revising the CN 18 requirement would assist administrations in responding to CN 08 inquiries on insured parcels in a more timely manner.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
35. 159.3.Rev 1 |
Create the following new paragraph 16bis:
16bis Administrations that send more than 100 tonnes of parcels per year must, and all other administrations are encouraged to:
16.1bis identify receptacles using UPU-standard S 9 receptacle content identifiers;
16.2bis include the S 9 identifier on the receptacle label in accordance with S 29;
16.3bis electronically pre-advise all outbound dispatches using UPU-standard compliant messages specifying the S 9 identifiers of the receptacles contained in each dispatch;
16.4bis electronically confirm receipt of inbound receptacles, that have been preadvised, using UPU-standard compliant response and/or event reporting messages.
Reasons. ? This proposal was revised subsequent to advice from certain Standards Board members asking that the references to specific message versions and names be removed from the provision in order to allow more flexibility in further development of UPU standards. The use of the 29-character UPU barcode on receptacles allows receiving administrations to utilize automated receipt systems and leads to improved communication between the sending and receiving administrations. The use of barcodes accelerates the process of capturing inbound data and, hence, the overall inter-administration settlement process.
The transmission of electronic data interchange (EDI) messages provides advance notification to receiving administrations about the volume of inbound parcels. Advance notification also provides information needed by customs authorities to facilitate clearance of mail and meet the growing supply-chain security requirements. The combination of the EDI messages and scanning of inbound receptacles also provides electronic receipt confirmation. These requirements impact on large-volume administrations only. This automated approach greatly reduces the paperwork involved for receiving administrations, as well as for dispatching administrations. IPS (International Postal System) and IPS Light could provide the capability of producing barcodes and sending EDI transmissions for administrations currently lacking this important technology. Both systems are available to administrations through Quality of Service Fund projects.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
35. 176.1 |
Paragraph 2.6. Amend as follows:
2.6 CN 38 or CN 41 bills which have been transmitted electronically by the air carrier may be accepted at the receiving exchange office if the two copies identified under 2.4 are not immediately available. In this case, two copies of the CN 38 or CN 41 bill must be signed by the air carrier representative at the destination airport prior to submission to the receiving administration. Except as noted in 2.6.1 or 2.6.2, one copy shall be signed by the receiving administration as a receipt for the mails and shall be kept by the air carrier. The second copy shall accompany the parcels to the post office to which the CN 38 or CN 41 bill is addressed.
2.6.1 Administrations that have developed an electronic receipting system for parcel dispatches which they receive from transport carriers may use the receipting records of that system instead of the CN 38 or CN 41 process described under 2.5. In lieu of the signed copy of the CN 38 or CN 41 forms, the receiving administration may provide the air carrier with a printed copy of the electronic receipting record for that dispatch.
2.6.2 Alternatively, administrations that exchange EDI messaging for parcel dispatches and consignments may use the EDI receipt messages instead of the CN 38 or CN 41 process as described under 2.6. In lieu of the signed copy of the CN 38 or CN 41 forms, the receiving administration may transmit the EDI receipt message.
Reasons. ? The current process outlined in paragraph 2.6 of this article is both paper- and labour-intensive. Consequently, many administrations have already commenced developing and deploying electronic systems that record the specifics of receipt of a mail dispatch. This amendment seeks to allow administrations to take advantage of the technical capabilities of these systems to streamline the process of recording the receipt of mail dispatches.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
35. 186.2 |
Create the following new paragraphs 1quater and 1quinter:
1quater When an administration chooses to set rates based upon costs as provided for in article 31.1bis of the Convention, it shall provide the International Bureau with documentation relating to its costs and domestic rates for parcels.
1quinter Upon confirmation by the International Bureau of the documentation provided demonstrating costs and domestic rates, an administration shall be authorized to apply cost-based inward land rates not higher than its domestic rates.
Reasons. ? Amendment to Postal Operations Council proposal 35. 186.1.
While the 2004 Postal Operations Council approved a proposal for the setting of parcel-post inward land rates based on service features provided, this may not allow some Posts to recover the costs of providing the service. Postal administrations should be allowed to cover the costs of delivery for parcel-post items.
Supported by. ? Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
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