ASIAN PACIFIC POSTAL UNION (APPU) EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING AT ISLAMABAD. March 24, 2015 (2015-01)

Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is the Regional Postal Union formed in 1961 under Article 8 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). Any sovereign country which is member of the Universal Postal Union and whose entire territory is situated in Asia, Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia or Polynesia may accede to APPU.

2. The idea behind its formation was to create a single postal territory amongst the member-countries, to improve the Postal Services in the region and to institute developing a large degree of cooperation between them. Pakistan joined this organization in 1977. Following 32 countries. are its members:-

1. Afghanistan                   2.  Japan               3. Papua New Guinea    4. Australia

5. Lao                    6. Philippines                     7. Bangladesh                    8. Korea Republic

9. Samoa              10. Bhutan                          11. Malaysia                       12. Singapore

13. Brunei Darussalam                   14. Maldives                       15. Solomon Islands

16. Cambodia                     17. China                              18. Mongolia                      19. Sri Lanka

20. Fiji                   21. Myanmar                     22. Thailand                        23.  Nauru

24. Tonga                             25. India                               26. Nepal                             27.  Vanuatu

28. Indonesia                     29. New Zealand                              30. Vietnam        31. Iran

32. Pakistan

3 The Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU) performs its functions through the following permanent organs:-

(a) Congress

This is the supreme organ of the Union. It is composed of plenipotentiary representatives of member-countries and is empowered to amend Constitution and General Regulations of the Union. It meets every four-year at a pre-selected place.

(b) Executive Council

To ensure the continuity of the work of the Union in the intervals between Congresses, the Executive Council meets, in principle once each year, unless the majority of member-countries decide otherwise. All member-countries are required to participate in its meetings.

(c) Office

Ø  The Bureau serves as a medium of liaison, information, inquiry and training for the member-countries of the Union.

Ø  The Bureau is composed of the administrative section and the training section

Ø  The host country of the Bureau shall be determined by Congress, or in exceptional circumstances by the Executive Council. In principle, that country shall remain as the host of the Bureau for at least five years.

4. There are following other organizations associated with the Asian-Pacific Postal Union for organizing an efficient postal service within the Asian-Pacific Region:-

(i) The Asian-Pacific Postal College

This institution, based in Bangkok, Thailand is imparting training to postal officers of the member-countries. Pakistan has always benefited from the courses offered by this institution. Officers of Pakistan Post are also being regularly deputed to this institution to carry out tutorial activities.

(ii) Asian-Pacific Post Cooperative

The Asia-Pacific Post cooperative is based in Singapore. Its main tasks are (i) To maintain and improve the quality of express Mail Service for handling time-sensitive services offered by postal administrations of member-countries, (ii) to carry out quality of Service Tests to remove bottle-necks with the aim to improve it, (iii) Management of Track & Trace system for EMS products, and (iv) to study questions of immediate interest to member-countries to make the postal products attractive to commercial users.

5. Pakistan attaches great importance to this organization, Pakistan has been availing following advantages by maintaining its membership in the Asian-Pacific Postal Union and by participating in its meeting:-

Ø  Excellent training facilities are offered by the College run by the Union in certain specialized fields. Each year three free fellowships are offered to Pakistan Post.

Ø  Seminars & workshops are regularly conducted on various important postal operations including Direct Mail Marketing, Parcel Post marketing, ISP Marketing, terminal dues, Postal Financial services etc. and the member countries can be benefited much by attending these forums.

Ø  Close cooperation in providing economical, speedier and reliable means of communications to develop socio-economic relations between peoples in the region.

Ø  Smooth exchange of postal mails keeping the operating costs as low as possible in the region

Ø  Adoption of coordinated approach over the issues of interest in the Asian Pacific Region within the Universal Postal Union

Ø  Coordination in implementing the five-yearly Postal Strategic Plans chalked out by the Universal Postal Union within the region.

Ø  Development in technical cooperation to modernize the postal services

Ø  Sharing ideas and exchange of information for improvement in the postal services.

Ø  Reliance on the technical support of the Asian Pacific Post cooperative

Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU) Executive Council Meeting at Islamabad, a commemorative postage stamp of Rs 10/- denomination is being issued by Pakistan Post on March 24, 2015.