Host of events mark World Postal Day

Dharma Sri ABEYRATNE

The Postal Services Ministry will conduct several events today to commemorate the 138th World Postal Day, Postal Services Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga said. World Postal Day marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union’s establishment and is annually held on October 9.

The union aims to create and maintain a structure for the free flow of international mail around the world.

The Postal Services Ministry will conduct special events for schoolchildren and postal services staff.

“Postal services existed in the form of messengers who travelled long distances on foot or horseback. In the 1600s and 1700s, many countries set up national postage systems and entered into bilateral agreements for the exchange of mail between countries,” the minister said. He said US Postmaster General Montgomery Blair organised a conference of representatives from 15 European and American countries in 1863.

“During this conference, delegates laid down a number of general principles for mutual agreements on international postal services but did not create an international postal agreement.

On September 15, 1874, Heinrich Von Stephan, a senior postal official in East Germany opened a conference in Berne, Switzerland, with delegates from 22 countries. The delegates signed the Treaty of Berne and established the General Postal Union on October 9, 1874,” the minister said.

The number of countries that were members of the General Postal Union grew rapidly and the union’s name was changed to the Universal Postal Union in 1878.

In 1948, the Universal Postal Union became a specialised agency of the United Nations. Postmaster General Rohana Abeyratne said a stamp exhibition is on at the ministry until today. Stamp organisations including foreign stamp societies of India are participating.

A bicycle rally will also be held today with the participation of 1,000 mail distributing cyclists. Awards will be offered under many titles such as 'Best postman’, 'Best post office’, ‘Best uniform bearing officer' and 'Best mail distributor’.