Faster mail processing is on the cards for twelve countries that recently complied with the Universal Postal Union's voluntary standard on electronic-address templates.
The UPU recently awarded compliance certificates to Serbia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Iran, Slovakia, Poland, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia and Uganda.
The total number of countries complying with S42 now stands at 29.
The standard has two parts: one provides a generic list of address elements used in all UPU member countries, while the other contains templates showing users how to turn those elements into a properly formatted address.
A UPU working group helps member countries develop S42 templates based on a sample of properly formatted addresses. It then provides the templates as electronic files that are easy to use and integrate into software managing addresses.
As a standards organization, the UPU manages some 100 technical norms aimed at improving the quality of mail processing across the globe.