New Delhi: Postal systems have been around for many centuries. In the past, people sent letters to each other, delivered by special messengers on foot or horseback. In the 1600s, the first national postage systems were established in many countries, allowing more people to use them. Over time, countries agreed to exchange mail internationally.
By the late 1800s, a global postal service was established but was slow and complicated. The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established in 1874, leading to our efficient postal service. In 1948, the UPU became an agency of the United Nations.
World Post Day was first declared on October 9, 1969, at the UPU Congress in Tokyo, Japan. Anand Mohan Narula, a member of the Indian delegation, proposed the idea. Since then, people all over the world have celebrated World Post Day to emphasise the importance of postal services.
On World Post Day, let us look at when and why the day was started and what the theme for this year is.
World Post Day 2024: When and Why was the day started?
World Post Day is an international day celebrated every year on October 9 and also marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which began in 1874 in Switzerland. The UPU played a crucial role in the global communications revolution by enabling people to send letters to others around the world. World Post Day was established in 1969, and since then, countries worldwide have been participating in various activities to emphasise the significance of postal services.
These activities include special stamp collection exhibitions at post offices, open days at postal facilities, and workshops on postal history. Additionally, the UPU hosts an international letter-writing competition for young people. On October 9, the UPU also announces the best postal services of the year, a tradition since 1969.
World Post Day is important because it helps people understand how the postal service affects their lives and the global economy.
On World Post Day, postal services can showcase new products and services and recognise their employees. It is also an opportunity to teach people about the postal service’s role in their lives.
World Post Day 2024: What is the theme for this year?
In 2024, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) is celebrating its 150th anniversary. This year’s World Post Day theme is “150 years of enabling communication and empowering peoples across nations.” It recognises the UPU’s long history of achievements and its commitment to serving all people in the future.
World Post Day: Did you know!
Around 1.5 billion people worldwide, or about 28% of all adults, use postal networks to access basic financial services such as payments, money transfers, and savings.
The global parcels market has increased from nearly 450 billion USD in 2018 to over 500 billion USD in 2020.
Over half of the post offices worldwide offer insurance, an important financial service that helps low-income individuals manage irregular and unpredictable income.
With a network of over 650,000 offices and 5.3 million staff globally and a public service mandate from many governments, the Post is unmatched in its ability to provide services to everyone, no matter where they are.
World Post Day raises awareness about the vital role of postal services in people’s daily lives and their contribution to countries’ social and economic development. It encourages member countries to raise public and media awareness of their national postal services’ roles and activities. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
