Postal Administration is an umbrella term used to collectively characterize all the functional entities within a country that participate in the regulation and operation of domestic and international postal services Mail, or post, is a method for transmitting information and tangible objects, wherein written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post. The term is widely used in diplomatic documents and international conventions and treaties that establish relationships between countries involving postal services.
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Description
The Universal Postal Union The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, and hence the worldwide postal system. Each member country agrees to the same set of terms for conducting international postal duties. Universal Postal Union's headquarters are located in Berne, Switzerland (UPU), established in 1874 by the Treaty of Bern and is now a specialized agency in the United Nations The United Nations Organization or simply United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of, is the international organization that coordinates postal operations between member nations. Each UPU member nation agrees to operate its Postal Administration according to a common, international set of rules for international postal services. Within the UPU conventions A treaty is an agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as: agreement, protocol, covenant, convention, exchange of letters, etc. Regardless of the terminology, all of these international agreements under international law are the term Postal Administration is used to identify a country that provides international postal services. Below is treaty language from the 1906 UPU treaty.
The postal administrations of contiguous countries, or countries able to correspond directly with each other without availing themselves of the services of a third administration, determine by common consent, the conditions of the conveyance of mails which they exchange across the frontier or from one frontier to the other.[1]
Generally, members of the UPU refer to themselves and other nations as Postal Administrations when establishing bi-lateral postal relationships. The following is example language from a bi-lateral postal agreement between the United States and Bulgaria.
Administration - an abbreviated form used to refer to one of the postal administrations agreeing to this Memorandum of Understanding. Each postal administration offers its customers a basic INTELPOST service. This service consists of the electronic transmission of messages or documents (whether in physical or abstract form) and their physical delivery by the administration of destination either across the counter at a handling office of INTELPOST Service or in accordance with such procedures for the delivery of international or domestic letter post items as may be established by the administration of destination.[2]
Also while the United Nations is not itself a "nation" it does in fact have its own postal administration that operates a limited (mostly philatelic) postal service of its own under the guidelines of the UPU.
There are essentially two primary functions of Postal Administrations. Within any given nation, these functions may be carried out by a single government entity or spread out amongst multiple government, quasi-government or private entities[3]. The UPU document: Status and Structures of Postal Administrations identifies the Postal Operator and Postal Regulator for all of its 191 member nations. A few illustrative examples are listed below.
- Postal Regulation—Postal regulation involves the establishment of postal policies, postal rates, postal services offered, budgeting for and financing postal operations.
- Ireland: Department for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Commission for Communications Regulation.
- United States: Postal Regulatory Commission The United States Postal Rate Commission is an independent regulatory agency created by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 to set the rates for different classes of mail by holding hearings on rates proposed by the United States Postal Service. It recommends rates to the Postal Service Board of Governors, which in turn may accept or reject the
- Japan: The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).
- Postal Operations—Postal operations involve the execution of domestic and international postal services to include the receipt, transportation and delivery of authorized classes of mail Mail, or post, is a method for transmitting information and tangible objects, wherein written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post, specialized mailing services, the operation of postal facilities, the sale of postage Mail, or post, is a method for transmitting information and tangible objects, wherein written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post, philatelic Philately is the study of stamps and related items. Philately is distinct from stamp collecting which does not usually involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps. For instance, the stamps being studied may be very rare or exist only in museums materials and mailing supplies, postal security, and the investigation of postal crime.
- Ireland: An Post An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union. Services provided include, letter post; parcel service; deposit accounts; Swiftpost, an all-Ireland next-day delivery service; EMS the international express mail
- United States: United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. Within the United States, it is commonly referred to as the "Post Office", "Postal
- Japan: Japan Post Japan Post was a government-owned corporation in Japan, that existed from 2003–2007, offering postal and package delivery services, banking services, and life insurance. It had over 400,000 employees and ran 24,700 post offices throughout Japan and was the nation's largest employer. One third of all Japanese government employees worked for Japan (Now Japan Post Holdings)
Variations
See also: :Category:Compendium of postage stamp issuersThere are, however, different types of postal authority and stamps have been issued by:
- national governments A government is the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises its authority, controls and administers public policy, and directs and controls the actions of its members or subjects;
- city, state, territorial, provincial or colonial authorities;
- groups of countries with common issues under a combined postal authority;
- occupation forces;
- foreign post offices;
- revolutionary regimes;
- international organisations An international organization is an organization with an international membership, scope, or presence. There are two main types:.
Sources
- List of the World's Postal Administrations Universal Postal Union
- Stanley Gibbons The Stanley Gibbons Group plc is a company quoted on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange and which specialises in the retailing of collectable postage stamps and similar products. The group is incorporated in Jersey but with offices in London, Ringwood in Hampshire and Guernsey. The company is a major stamp dealer Ltd: various catalogues
- Encyclopaedia of Postal Authorities
- Rossiter, Stuart; John Fowler (1991 reprint). World History Stamp Atlas. Black Cat. ISBN 0-7481-0309-0.
Notes
- ^ Bridgeman, Raymond L. (1911). The First Book of World Law-A compilation of International Conventions to which the principal nations are signatory with a survey of their significance. Boston: Gin and Company. http://books.google.com/books/pdf/The_First_Book_of_World_Law.pdf?id=CggNAAAAYAAJ&output=pdf&sig=ACfU3U1EqxGL8L5qQb2PX6okS4z_HNd2Vg.
- ^ Memorandum Of Understanding Between The United States Postal Service And The Postal Administration Of The People's Republic Of Bulgaria Concerning The Operation of The Intelpost Service
- ^ Status and Structures of Postal Administrations
External links
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U N New York FDC 30 Postal Administration 40th Anniversary First Day of Issue October 24 1991
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the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the United States . Postal. Service (USPS). On May 7, 2009, the Obama . Administration. delivered its FY2010 budget request to Congress. The . Administration. requested $46.439 billion for FSGG ...
