India takes over leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU)

Asian Pacific Postal Union is the only Restricted Union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the region. India will take over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) from this month.

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Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) UPSC Relevance

Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU): It is an international Organization that aims to extend, facilitate and improve postal relations between member countries and to promote cooperation in the field of postal services.

Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is also important for UPSC Prelims 2023 and UPSC Mains Exam (GS Paper 2- International Relations).

Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) in News

India will take over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) having its Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand from this month (January 2023).

India’s Tenure as Secretary General of APPU

Following the successful elections held during the 13th APPU Congress held in Bangkok during August- September 2022, Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh will take over the charge of Secretary General of the Union for a tenure of 4 years.

Vinaya Prakash Singh is the erstwhile Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board, India.
Secretary General leads the activities of the Union and is also the Director of the Asian Pacific Postal College (APPC) which is the largest intergovernmental postal training institute in the region.

Background of Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU)

The history of the APPU dates back to a postal roundtable held in Manila in 1961.
At that meeting 18 countries met to draw up the Asian-Oceanic Postal Convention, which came into force on 1st April 1962.
Thus the Asian Pacific Postal Union was born and in due course additional members have made it an inter-governmental body of 32 countries.
The APPU was based in Manila for the first 40 years of its history in recognition of the role played by the Philippines Government in its establishment.
Since 2002 the APPU moved to Bangkok and the Director position was open to election by the member countries.
The Director is chosen at the APPU Congress for a term of four years, with a maximum of two terms.

Asian Pacific Postal Union

About: Asian Pacific Postal Union is the only Restricted Union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the region, which is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
APPU Headquarters: The APPU was based in Manila for the first 40 years of its history. But, since 2002 the APPU moved to Bangkok, Thailand.

Members: Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is an intergovernmental organization of 32-member countries of the Asian-Pacific region.
Mandate: The goal of APPU is to extend, facilitate and improve postal relations between member countries and to promote cooperation in the field of postal services.
Regional Center of UPU: As the regional center for various UPU projects APPU also takes the lead in ensuring that all technical and operational projects of the UPU are fulfilled in the region so that the region is integrated into the global postal network in the best possible way.

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Organizational Structure of APPU

The APPU is made up of the three bodies of Congress, Executive Council and APPU Bureau.

Congress: It is the supreme organ of the APPU and meets not later than 2 years after UPU Congress.
- Congress meets in order to revise the Acts of the Union, if necessary, and to consider, as necessary, other postal problems of common interest to members.

Executive Congress: The Executive Council (EC) comprises all the member-countries of the Union and meets in principle once each year to ensure the work of the Union. The key functions of the Executive Council are:

- To perform any duty assigned to it by a Resolution of the Congress;
- To lay down international postal service rules which shall provide the necessary details for the operation of the international postal service between the member countries;
- To maintain contacts with postal administrations of member countries to improve the postal service;
- To prescribe rules for the administration of the Bureau and to supervise the activities of the Bureau;
- To review and approve the annual budget and accounts of the administrative section prepared by the Bureau in the intervals between Congresses;

APPU Bureau: The Bureau serves as a medium of liaison, information, inquiry and training for member countries.
- The Bureau comprises an administrative section and a training section and is staffed with a Director and such other staff as the Union requires.
- The Bureau provides the secretariat for meetings of the Union, jointly with the administration of the country where each meeting is held.

- The Bureau is under the general supervision of the Executive Council.
- The Bureau provides training facilities and advisory services in the training section to improve postal services within Asia and the Pacific.
- This training section is administered by a Governing Board, chaired by the head of the host administration of the Bureau (Thailand).

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Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) FAQs

Who is the Current Secretary General of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU)?

Ans. India’s Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh will take over the charge of Secretary General of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) for a tenure of 4 years.