U.S. Ratification of the Universal Postal Convention Protocol

On this occasion, the Department of State -- which is responsible for U.S. relations with the Universal Postal Union under legislative mandate -- wishes to note the United States has had a long and fruitful relationship with the Universal Postal Union, one of the oldest international bodies in the United Nations system. From its inception in 1874, the Universal Postal Union has made great progress linking the people of the world through the exchange of letters and parcels and ensuring continuance of the free flow of mail.

However, we believe that the Universal Postal Union needs to change with the times in order to continue its work effectively. The postal world of 2001 is vastly different from the postal world of the nineteenth century. Privatization, deregulation, and electronic-commerce are increasing worldwide. The postal market is highly dynamic due to new private-sector entrants, new alliances among public and private postal operators, and rapidly changing methods of communication through electronic mail. The result is a highly competitive environment that should afford new choices, more opportunities for enhancement of global commerce, and better service for postal customers.

The United States is promoting reform in the Universal Postal Union to meet these challenges. Essential to reform is the opening up of the Union’s operations and meetings to all players, public and private, in the postal market. The Union cannot remain a closed institution and expect to maintain its relevancy and leadership. We believe it must focus its attention more broadly on the needs and interests of postal customers, and ensure that its policies facilitate openness to competition and provide postal customers with more choices in the years ahead.

Significant reform of the Universal Postal Union is possible as early as 2002 under authority granted by the Beijing Congress. As a founding member committed to its success, the United States is working hard to ensure that the Union takes full advantage of this important opportunity. We are urging that Universal Postal Union member states show the farsightedness and vision displayed by their predecessors in 1874. Failure to do so will have serious implications for the organization’s future.

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