The first Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress was held in Bern, Switzerland in 1874, with delegates from 22 countries present.
Over the past almost 150 years, Congress has travelled around the world to discuss issues affecting international postal services. The event has been held in France, USA, Egypt, Canada, Brazil, Korea, Qatar and Belgium, among other countries. The most recent Congress, the 26th event in Istanbul, Turkey, attracted around 2,000 representatives from 155 countries, where they discussed more than 450 proposals.
The Universal Postal Congress is the main international meeting of the UPU and is usually held every four years. The 27th Universal Postal Congress in Abidjan was, however, delayed from August 2020 to August 2021 due to the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was not the first Congress to be postponed due to exceptional circumstances. The Madrid Congress was postponed from 1912 to 1920 due to the developments leading up to the First World War. Similarly, the Second World War led to the movement of the Paris Congress from 1944 to 1947.
At each Congress, UPU member countries adopt the new World Postal Strategy, which provides a roadmap for the following work cycle (a four-year period). The first World Postal Strategy was implemented in 1989 at the 20th Congress in Washington, U.S., and since then it has been a mainstay of the UPU Congress cycles.
Congress also decides on new rules and sets policies on the international exchange of postal items, and as part of the proceedings member countries elect the next UPU director general and deputy director general and decide on the membership of the UPU’s Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council.
In addition to the Universal Postal Congress, Extraordinary Meetings can also be called outside of the four-year cycle. These meetings occurred in 1900 in Berne, Switzerland to mark the 25th anniversary of the UPU; in 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to discuss the sustainability of the postal sector; and in 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss the renumeration rates of small packets.
Historically, all Universal Postal Congresses are held in person, as specified by the UPU’s Rules of Procedure. The 27th Universal Postal Congress in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 9 to 27 August 2021, could be a significant milestone for Congress as a hybrid approach is being considered. If approved, this will be the first time in Congress history that member representatives will be able to take part virtually. A decision on whether a hybrid approach will be implemented will be made on day one of the Abidjan Congress.
[Photo: the Universal Postal Congress in Ethiopia, 2018]