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List of members of the Universal Postal Union

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The 192 members of the Universal Postal Union are listed below in alphabetical order, with the date of membership.[1] Members are the Vatican City and the 193 UN members except Andorra, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. The newest member is South Sudan, which joined on 4 October 2011.

  Member states
  Member states both through their sovereign state and as individual members
  Observer states
  Non-member states represented by a member state

Before 10 July 1964, states became members of the UPU by ratifying the latest version of the Treaty of Bern. After this date, states become members by ratifying the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union, which incorporated the Treaty of Bern and added provisions to it. Three states that were party to the Treaty of Bern in 1964, and hence members of the UPU, and which have signed but never ratified the Constitution are the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Sudan.[2] These states are deemed to have "tacitly ratified" the agreement due to their continued participation in the UPU.[3] Also included as members are two "joint memberships" for dependent territories (one for the British overseas territories and one for the Caribbean constituent countries (Dutch: landen) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten), originally as Netherlands Antilles). Dependent territories are not permitted to ratify the UPU Constitution, but because the Treaty of Bern allowed for dependencies to join the UPU,[3] listing these members separately as "Colonies, Protectorates, etc.",[4] the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union grandfathered them when membership was restricted to sovereign states.[3][5] However, neither the British nor the Dutch entities ratified the Treaty of Bern separate from the ratifications of the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, respectively.

By virtue of article 23 of the UPU Constitution, other dependencies of a UPU member state are covered by the membership of that state. Territories covered by a sovereign member state are listed under that state.

A

B

Dependencies of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

C

D

E

F

French Overseas Departments
Territories coming within the UPU's jurisdiction by virtue of article 23 of the UPU Constitution

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

  •  Oman – 17 August 1971

P

Q

  •  Qatar – 31 January 1969

R

S

T

U

The Crown dependencies of the United Kingdom are not members of the UPU, and are represented by the United Kingdom
Territories coming within the UPU's jurisdiction by virtue of article 23 of the UPU Constitution

V

Y

Z

Observer states

  • Palestine – Has special observer status to the UPU since 1999, West Bank mail delivered through Jordan since 2008.[15][16] From [when?] up to 2010 Gaza Strip mail was delivered through Israel.[17] On 15 November 2018, the president of the State of Palestine signed documents to accede to the UPU as a full member.[18] However, UPU member states did not approve the application.[19]

States not participating in UPU activities

In general areas governed by organizations that are not members of the UPU, must have their international mail handled by a member state.[20]

Entities not participating in UPU activities

States with limited recognition

Further information: List of states with limited recognition

These states need to have their mail routed through third countries as the UPU will not allow direct international deliveries.[20]

Former member countries of the UPU

In the course of history a number of member countries of the UPU saw their membership lapse, due to political changes. Where there was an immediate successor state, membership would normally devolve on that state. In other cases membership lapsed.

See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Afghanistan.
  2. [2]
    Ratified as the Principality of Albania.
  3. [3]
    Ratified as French Algeria.
  4. [4]
    Ratified as Austria-Hungary.
  5. [5]
    Ratified as the Byelorussian SSR.
  6. [6]
    Ratified as the Republic of Dahomey.
  7. [7]
    Ratified as the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  8. [8]
    Ratified as the Empire of Brazil.
  9. [9]
    Dependent territory whose membership was grandfathered in by the Constitution.[3]
  10. [10]
    Ratified as the Tsardom of Bulgaria.
  11. [11]
    Ratified as Upper Volta.
  12. [12]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Burundi.
  13. [13]
    Ratified while a French protectorate.
  14. [14]
    China was originally represented by the government of the Republic of China from 1 March 1914. Following the United Nations General Assembly's vote to transfer China's seat to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1971, China's representation at the UPU was likewise switched to the PRC on 13 April 1972.
  15. [15]
    British Hong Kong Hong Kong was part of the British Overseas Territories joint membership from 1 April 1877 to 1 July 1997.[6] Hong Kong continues to participate in the Universal Postal Union after the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China on 1 July 1997.[7]
  16. [16]
    Ratified as the Congo Free State.
  17. [17]
    State which became a UPU member by ratifying the Treaty of Bern and which signed the Constitution, but which has not ratified it.[2] These states are deemed to have "tacitly ratified" the agreement due to their continued participation in the UPU.[3]
  18. [18]
    Ratified as the Khedivate of Egypt.
  19. [19]
    Originally joined on 7 July 1922 prior to Soviet occupation[8]
  20. [20]
    As Swaziland until 2018.
  21. [21]
    Ratified as the Ethiopian Empire.
  22. [22]
    Ratified as the German Empire.
  23. [23]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Greece.
  24. [24]
    Ratified as Austria-Hungary.
  25. [25]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Iceland.
  26. [26]
    Ratified as the British India.
  27. [27]
    Ratified as the Dutch East Indies.
  28. [28]
    Ratified as the Sublime State of Iran.
  29. [29]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Iraq under British Administration.
  30. [30]
    Ratified as the Irish Free State.
  31. [31]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Italy.
  32. [32]
    Ratified as the Empire of Japan.
  33. [33]
    Ratified as the Korean Empire.
  34. [34]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Laos.
  35. [35]
    Originally joined on 1 October 1921 prior to Soviet occupation[8]
  36. [36]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Libya.
  37. [37]
    Originally joined on 1 January 1922 prior to Soviet occupation[8][9]
  38. [38]
    Ratified as the Federation of Malaya.
  39. [39]
    Ratified as the Mongolian People's Republic.
  40. [40]
    Originally joined on 2 October 1874 prior to foundation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918.
  41. [41]
    Ratified while a French protectorate.
  42. [42]
    Ratified as the Myanmar Union of Burma.
  43. [43]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Nepal.
  44. [44]
    These three entities are constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but have a joint UPU membership separate of that of the Netherlands. Prior to the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, Aruba and the then-Netherlands Antilles shared a common UPU membership. Upon dissolution, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, now collectively known as the Caribbean Netherlands, became parts of the Netherlands proper.
  45. [45]
    Under the provisional designation of "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" until 2019.
  46. [46]
    Ratified as the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway.
  47. [47]
    Ratified as the Russian Empire. Continued membership as the Soviet Union from 1922–1991.
  48. [48]
    Ratified as Western Samoa.
  49. [49]
    Ratified as the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd.
  50. [50]
    Ratified as the Principality of Serbia. Continued membership as Yugoslavia 1918–1992 and Serbia and Montenegro 2001–2006, membership suspended in between.
  51. [51]
    At the time split between the Trust Territory of Somaliland and British Somaliland.
  52. [52]
    Ratified as the Dominion of Ceylon.
  53. [53]
    Ratified as the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway.
  54. [54]
    Ratified as the Syrian Republic.
  55. [55]
    Ratified as  Tanganyika.
  56. [56]
    Ratified as the Thailand Kingdom of Siam.
  57. [57]
    Ratified as the Regency of Tunis.
  58. [58]
    Ratified as the Ottoman Empire.
  59. [59]
    Ratified as the Ukrainian SSR.
  60. [60]
    Ratified as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
  61. [61]
    On 17 October 2018 the United States notified the UPU of its intention to withdraw from the union, which as per terms of the UPU constitution would become effective after one year.[11][12] However, the country indicated that it would be willing to remain a member if treaty arrangements which it finds problematic (the low terminal dues charged to developing countries to ship mail to developed countries) could be renegotiated during the course of the withdrawal period.[13] In October 2019, following an Extraordinary Congress of the UPU which agreed to increase terminal dues, the United States opted to remain a member of the UPU.[14]
  62. [62]
    Ratified as the State of Vietnam.
  63. [63]
    Ratified as the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen.
  64. [64]
    Mail for Taiwan was also previously routed through Hong Kong. International reply coupons are not available for Taiwan.
  65. [65]
    The Orange Free State acceded to the Postal Convention of Vienna in 1898, and a year later also acceded to that of Washington.[27] The state was dissolved at the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging. Membership did not lapse but was absorbed into the British South African membership.
  66. [66]
    The South African Republic was a member from 1895[28] until its dissolution at the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging. Membership did not lapse but was absorbed into the British South African membership.
  67. [67]
    Ratified as part of the German Empire.

References

Further reading

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