In celebration of World Post Day 2024 and the 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a grand ceremony was held on 9 October at the UPU’s headquarters in Berne, Switzerland. Global representatives gathered to honour the milestone under the theme “150 years of enabling communication and empowering peoples across nations”.
In the opening remarks to the ceremony, UPU Director General Masahiko Metoki highlighted how the UPU has adapted to challenges such as wars and technological shifts, transforming postal services to encompass digital, social, and e-commerce services. “By staying committed to multilateralism, innovation, and inclusivity, the UPU will continue to support global communication for the next 150 years,” he said.UN Secretary-General António Guterres also praised the postal system’s importance in times of crisis, saying, “the UPU is one of the earliest examples of global cooperation, guaranteeing a single postal territory worldwide.”
“Global cooperation helped guarantee a single postal territory worldwide – one that leaves no one behind by delivering messages, goods, and financial services to some of the most remote places on earth,” he said.
UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan paid tribute to the UPU’s multilateralism in action, stating, “even in a world of competing interests, we can find common ground, build bridges instead of barriers, and choose cooperation over conflict.”
The ceremony also opened with remarks from UPU former Deputy Director General Moussibahou Mazou, International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan Martin, World Customs Organization Secretary-General Ian Saunders, International Civil Aviation Organization Director General Juan Carlos Salazar and Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail Director General Wolfgang Küpper. Alongside them, the UPU featured a series of high-level congratulatory messages shared by the UPU’s member countries, including ministers and postal CEOs.
Acknowledging Postal Excellence
The ceremony first recognized top-ranked national postal networks, regional champions, and rising stars in the UPU’s 2024 Integrated Index for Postal Development (2IPD).
The Postal Excellence category was led by Germany and Switzerland, which shared the top spot in the index, which compared 174 countries. They were closely followed by Japan, the United States of America, France, the Netherlands, and Australia. China, Estonia, Morocco, Brazil, and Mauritius were recognized as regional champions. Hungary, Indonesia and Barbados received the Rising Stars distinction for achieving the greatest overall improvement in postal development this year.
Disclosing the award results, the UPU Director General acknowledged postal workers’ efforts, stating, “Your dedication and commitment connect communities, empower businesses, and unite the world. As we honour this achievement, let us look forward to a future of continued innovation.”
International Letter-Writing Competition
A key highlight of the ceremony was the 53rd International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People, co-organized by the UPU, UNICEF, and UNESCO. This year, children were invited to write a letter to future generations, sharing their visions for a better world. Wishes for peace and environmental care were expressed by the gold-medal winner, Aliaksandr Piatrou from Belarus, in his letter: “I hope the people of your time will learn to appreciate peace on Earth... and care for nature as a common home.”
Announcing the award, UPU Deputy Director General Marjan Osvald said, “We encouraged them to imagine the kind of world they hope to pass on to future generations, a world that they themselves will shape and inherit.”
Silver Medals were awarded to Cheng Zihan from China, who passionately tackled the theme of environmental sustainability, and Nayra Novelia Kusuma from Indonesia, who addressed the future of literacy in a rapidly digitizing world. Valeria Scartsella from Cyprus secured the bronze medal with her letter envisioning a future free from war, where technology serves humanity rather than divides it.
Read the letters of the winners here.
Watch video messages from UPU member countries and the international community here.