UPU calls on young people to envision a brighter future this World Children’s Day

On World Children’s Day, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) is proud to announce the theme of its upcoming 53rd International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People. This edition will take place in 2024, during the UPU’s 150th anniversary year. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on the future of the world using the prompt, "At 150 years old, the UPU has served people around the world for more than eight generations. The world has changed enormously since then. Write a letter to future generations about the world you hope they inherit."

The chosen theme encourages young people to articulate their thoughts on current global challenges and propose innovative solutions. Aligning with the United Nations system's Common Agenda to deepen solidarity between generations and ensure a liveable planet for the future, the theme allows youths to draw upon the principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, providing a framework for their visions of a better world.

The launch of the annual competition coincides with World Children's Day on 20 November, a significant date marking the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. This day serves as an international platform to promote togetherness, raise awareness among children worldwide, and advocate for improved children's welfare.

The UPU’s International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People – adopted at the UPU’s 1969 Tokyo Congress and officially launched in 1971 – seeks to advance global literacy and provide young people with a platform to share their views on global issues. Participating countries organize the competition at the national level with support from their Posts, and often with the assistance of education authorities. Each country chooses a national winner and submits its entry to the global round held by the UPU, where the winning letters are selected by an international jury.

More information about the competition deadlines and rules will be available shortly on the following web page: www.upu.int/en/ILWC.