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.