WESTPEX® 2024

Stamp Show

Show Theme

The Sesquicentennial of the

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION, UPU

 2024 WESTPEX has chosen for its Show Theme, the One Hundred Fiftieth  (150th) Anniversary, 1874—2024, of the Universal Postal Union, UPU. While not a local theme, it is concretely philatelic, and WESTPEX is dedicated to enhancing and to enlightening the 'world via stamps' to stamp hobbyists, scholarly philatelists, philatelic enthusiasts and the public.

 'The World Via Stamps'. That in a nutshell explains the guiding principle and purpose of the UPU, initially founded as the 'General Postal Union'. While mailing one's utility bill payment or credit card payment or birthday card or wedding invitation  may only mean a stamp and a readable address, with the correct ZIP+4 Code, that only works within a single nation, a nation with an established postal system.

 But, people, anywhere and everywhere, want and need to correspond beyond borders, across vast oceans, over mountains, transferring rivers, and through lands distant from the mail drop. So, How?

 Before the UPU, it was a matter of each  independent national postal authority to negotiate specific postal treaties with other countries, and that required a distinct treaty with each nation, and only through time consuming negotiations, and none with the similar conditions.

 Added, for example, was the various routes and carriers plus entry ports or departure ports. The heavily used North Atlantic shipping lanes were numerous, and each carrier had to deal with several differing national postal authorities, as well as incur the cost.

 In 1863, even during the traffic American Civil War, the Postmaster General Montgomery Blair (1813—1883 and on US Scott #C66) called for an international conference, which met in Paris, France. While the delegates drafted principles for international postal cooperation, they failed to draft an agreement. But the first bold step had been taken toward international cooperation.

 With the surprising victory in the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, the newly created united Germany and its Postmaster General Heinrich von Stephan (1831—1897) called for another international gathering, which was held in Bern, Switzerland; it successfully concluded the Treaty of Bern, October 1874, creating what is now named the Universal Postal Union, UPU.

 With the decades since, various changes have occurred to the original decisions, yet, in principle postal authorities should give equal treatment to foreign and domestic mail and each country should retain all the money paid for international postage. The UPU provides that stamps from member nations are accepted along the entire international route.

 Changes and regulations over the century and half have been added; for example, in 1906, 'prisoners of war' mail would be free postage. In 1929, the first air mail regulations were approved. In 1952, Aerogrammes were accepted.

 In 1947, the UPU became a specialized agency of the United Nations, UN. It has six official languages: French, English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish. All UN nations are welcomed to join. As of 2024, the UPU has one hundred ninety-two (192) member nations.

 Across oceans and seas, over mountain ranges, along rail and air routes, even on dirt or gravel roads, through jungles and vast deserts, or even by packed animal, one can mail a letter to any destination on this world, truly a 'world via stamps', thanks to the UPU.