| Union postale universelle Universal Postal Union | |
 | |
 The UPU flag | |
| Abbreviation | UPU |
|---|---|
| Formation | October 9, 1874 |
| Type | UN agency |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | Bern, Switzerland |
Head | Bishar Abdirahman Hussein |
| Website | www.UPU.int |
Prior to the establishment of the UPU, each country had to prepare a separate postal treaty with other nations it wished to carry international mail to or from. In some cases, senders would have to calculate postage for each leg of a journey, and potentially find mail forwarders in a third country if there was no direct delivery.(wm-fnpo)To simplify the complexity of this system, the United States called for an International Postal Congress in 1863. This led to the formation of UPU.
The UPU's headquarters are located in Bern, Switzerland.
French is the official language of the UPU. English was added as a working language in 1994. The majority of the UPU's documents and publications – including its flagship magazine, Union Postale – are available in the United Nations' six official languages(French, English, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic).