Even though a majority of UPU member countries voted in favour of it, a proposal to expand the UPU's fundamental mission was rejected yesterday during a plenary session of the 24th Universal Postal Congress after it failed to obtain sufficient support.
The proposed amendment to the preamble of the UPU Constitution needed the support of at least two thirds of member countries having the right to vote at Congress, i.e. 171 of the 191 Union member countries.
One hundred and forty-two countries were present to vote.
In the end, 97 countries voted in favour of the new proposed mission, while 28 voted against it and 17 abstained. Despite the positive result, 114 favourable votes were needed for the proposal to be adopted.
The document proposed that Congress adopt a new UPU mission that covered the full extent of the postal sector's role and scope and, consequently, the current role and scope of the UPU, including its role as a United Nations specialized agency. In particular, the mission would have recalled the adherence of the UPU to the United Nations Organization and the postal sector's contribution to fostering trade and promoting economic and social development worldwide.
Some countries defended the document, saying that the proposed mission better described the current reality of the postal sector, which is not limited to the distribution of letters and parcels. Others added that this new context would enable them to more easily obtain financing for development projects.
One country argued that the UPU should focus on the core activities mentioned in the current mission, which is "to stimulate the lasting sustainable development of efficient and accessible universal postal services of quality in order to facilitate communication between the inhabitants of the world".