Additional Protocol to the
Universal Postal Convention
Table of contents
Article
I. (Art. 17 amended) Basic services
II. (Art. 18 amended) Supplementary services
III. Entry into force and duration of the Additional Protocol
to the Universal Postal Convention
Final Protocol to the Additional
Protocol to the Universal Postal Convention
Table of contents
Article
I. (Art. VI amended) Basic services
Additional
Protocol to the Universal Postal Convention
The plenipotentiaries of the governments of the member
countries of the Universal Postal Union, having met in
Extraordinary Congress at Addis Ababa, having regard to article
22.3 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union concluded
at Vienna on 10 July 1964, have by common consent and subject to
article 25.4 of the Constitution drawn up in this Additional
Protocol the following amendments to the Universal Postal
Convention adopted at Istanbul on 6 October 2016.
Article I
(Art. 17 amended)
Basic services
1 Member countries shall ensure that their designated
operators accept, handle, convey and deliver letter-post
items.
2 Letter-post items containing only documents are:
2.1 priority items and non-priority items, up to 2
kilogrammes;
2.2 letters, postcards and printed papers, up to 2
kilogrammes;
2.3 items for the blind, up to 7 kilogrammes;
2.4 special bags containing newspapers, periodicals, books and
similar printed documentation for the same addressee at the same
address called "M bags", up to 30 kilogrammes.
3 Letter-post items containing goods are:
3.1 priority and non-priority small packets, up to 2
kilogrammes;
3.2 items for the blind, up to 7
kilogrammes, as specified in the Regulations;
3.3 special bags containing
newspapers, periodicals, books and similar printed documentation
for the same addressee at the same address called "M
bags", up to 30 kilogrammes, as specified in the
Regulations.
4 Letter-post items shall be classified on the basis of both
the speed of treatment of the items and the contents of the items
in accordance with the Regulations.
5 Within the classification systems referred to in 4,
letter-post items may also be classified on the basis of their
format as small letters (P), large letters (G), bulky letters (E)
or small packets (E). The size and weight limits are specified in
the Regulations.
6 Higher weight limits than those indicated in paragraph 2
apply optionally for certain letter-post item categories under
the conditions specified in the Regulations.
7 Member countries shall also ensure that their designated
operators accept, handle, convey and deliver parcel-post items up
to 20 kilogrammes.
8 Weight limits higher than 20 kilogrammes apply optionally
for certain parcel-post items under the conditions specified in
the Regulations.
Article II
(Art. 18 amended)
Supplementary services
1 Member countries shall ensure the provision of the following
mandatory supplementary services:
1.1 registration service for outbound priority and airmail
letter-post items;
1.2 registration service for all inbound registered
letter-post items.
2 Member countries may ensure the provision of the
following optional supplementary services in relations between
those designated operators which agreed to provide the
service:
2.1 insurance for letter-post items and parcels;
2.2 cash-on-delivery service for letter-post items and
parcels;
2.3 tracked delivery service for letter-post items;
2.4 delivery to the addressee in person of registered or
insured letter-post items;
2.5 free of charges and fees delivery service for letter-post
items and parcels;
2.6 cumbersome parcels services;
2.7 consignment service for collective items from one
consignor sent abroad;
2.8 merchandise return service, which involves the return of
merchandise by the addressee to the original seller, with the
latter's authorization.
3 The following three supplementary services have both
mandatory and optional parts:
3.1 international business reply service (IBRS), which is
basically optional. All member countries or their designated
operators shall, however, be obliged to operate the IBRS
"return" service;
3.2 international reply coupons, which shall be exchangeable
in any member country. The sale of international reply coupons
is, however, optional;
3.3 advice of delivery for registered letter-post items,
parcels and insured items. All member countries or their
designated operators shall admit incoming advices of delivery.
The provision of an outward advice of delivery service is,
however, optional.
4 The description of these services and their charges are set
out in the Regulations.
5 Where the service features below are subject to special
charges in the domestic service, designated operators shall be
authorized to collect the same charges for international items,
under the conditions described in the Regulations:
5.1 delivery for small packets weighing over 500 grammes;
5.2 letter-post items posted after the latest time of
posting;
5.3 items posted outside normal counter opening hours;
5.4 collection at sender's address;
5.5 withdrawal of a letter-post item outside normal counter
opening hours;
5.6 poste restante;
5.7 storage for letter-post items weighing over 500 grammes
(with the exception of items for the blind), and for parcels;
5.8 delivery of parcels, in response to the advice of
arrival;
5.9 cover against risks of force majeure;
5.10 delivery of letter-post items outside normal counter
opening hours.
Article III
Entry into force and duration of the Additional Protocol to the
Universal Postal Convention
1 This Additional Protocol shall come into force on 1 July
2019 and shall remain in operation until the entry into force of
the Acts of the next Congress.
In witness whereof the plenipotentiaries of the governments of
the member countries have drawn up this Additional Protocol,
which shall have the same force and the same validity as if its
provisions were inserted in the text of the Convention itself,
and they have signed it in a single original which shall be
deposited with the Director General of the International Bureau.
A copy thereof shall be delivered to each party by the
International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.
Done at Addis Ababa, 7 September 2018
Final Protocol
to the Additional Protocol to the Universal Postal Convention
At the moment of proceeding to signature of the Additional
Protocol to the Universal Postal Convention concluded this day,
the plenipotentiaries of the governments of the member countries
of the Universal Postal Union have agreed the following:
Article I
(Art. VI of the Additional Protocol to the Universal Postal
Convention amended)
Basic services
1 Notwithstanding the provisions of article 17, Australia does
not agree to the extension of basic services to include postal
parcels.
2 The provisions of article 17.2.4 shall not apply to the
United Kingdom, whose national legislation requires a lower
weight limit. Health and safety legislation in the United Kingdom
limits the weight of mail bags to 20 kilogrammes.
3 Notwithstanding article 17.2.4, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan shall be authorized to limit to 20
kilogrammes the maximum weight of inward and outward M bags.
4 Notwithstanding article 17,
Iceland accepts items for the blind only to the extent provided
for in its internal legislation.
In witness whereof, the plenipotentiaries of the governments
of the member countries have drawn up this Final Protocol, which
shall have the same force and the same validity as if its
provisions were inserted in the text of the Convention itself,
and they have signed it in a single original which shall be
deposited with the Director General of the International Bureau.
A copy thereof shall be delivered to each party by the
International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.
Done at Addis Ababa, 7 September 2018.