Convention of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) ^[*]

The Union shall comprise Member-States of the AU, which have signed and ratified or adhered to this Convention.

Any other Member–State of the AU may become a Member of the Union by acceding to the Convention in compliance with Article 31.

To maintain and extend co-operation among Member-States for the improvement and rational use of postal services;

To harmonize tariff structure among Member-States with the view of establishing tariffs compatible with good services and a sound financial management of postal services.

To promote the establishment of multi-national regional and sub-regional postal training institutes in Africa, in co-cooperation with international and African Regional and sub-regional organizations with legitimate interest in postal services in Africa.

To harmonize, as far as possible the position of the Member –States during international meetings in the field of postal services and in particular at UPU meetings.

To publish information and research material on postal services for the benefit of Member–States of the Union and to encourage the exchange of information and staff between the administrations of Member-States.

To act as a servicing institution for its Member-States for integrated postal development providing them with the necessary technical support.

The Plenipotentiary Conference;

The Administrative Council;

The General Secretariat

The Administrative and Technical Committees.

The plenipotentiary Conference hereinafter referred to, as “the Conference” shall be the supreme organ of the Union. It shall assume the prime functions with a view to achieving the objectives of the Union.

It shall consist of Ministers responsible for postal Services of Member-States.

The Conference shall convene in an ordinary session every four years.

At the request of one or more Member-States, the Administrative Council or the General Secretariat and subject to the agreement of two-thirds of the Member-States, the Conference shall convene in an extraordinary session.

African Liberation Movement recognized by the OAU shall, at their request, be admitted as observers to the sessions of the Conference.

The Administrative Council hereinafter referred to, as “the Council” shall consist of sixteen Member-States. Its term of office shall be four years.

Between the sessions of the Conference, the Council shall be the decision–making body of the Union within the limits of the powers delegated to it by the Conference.

It shall consist of the duly accredited representative of Member-States elected in accordance with the geographical distribution adopted by the OAU.

The Council shall convene in an ordinary session annually.

At the request of one or more Member-States of the Union, or the Secretary-General, and subject to the Agreement of two-thirds of the Member-States of the Council, the Council shall meet in an extra-ordinary session.

The General Secretariat is the executive body of the Union. A Secretary General assisted by an Assistant Secretary General shall head it.

The Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General shall be elected by the Conference for a four-year period. They shall be eligible for re-election only once. At the end of the second term of office, neither of them can apply again for either post.

The Secretary-General shall be answerable to the Conference and the Conference and the Council. The Assistant Secretary-General shall be answerable to the Secretary-General.

The Administrative and Technical Committees, non-permanent organs of the Union, may be established by the Conference or the Council.

They shall have to study specific issues relating to the postal services and any other matters that may be in trusted to them.

Contributions made by Member-States in accordance with the scale of assessment established by the Conference;

Any other funds including extra-budgetary contributions, which may be made available to the Union, subject to approval of the Council.

Sessions of the Conference, and the Council, and meetings of the

Administrative and Technical Committees;

Operation of the General Secretariat;

Any other activities pertaining to the objectives of the Union.

The Convention shall be the basic Act of the Union. It shall supercede any other Act of the Union.

The Detailed Regulation shall ensure the application of the Conviction and shall be subordinate to it.

All the other Acts of the Union shall be consistent with the Convention and its Detailed Regulations.

With a view to promoting the improvement, harmonization and development of African postal services, the Union shall maintain privileged relations with the Universal Postal Union.

It shall collaborate with the Restricted Postal Unions and other national and international bodies whose interests and activities are related to postal services.

Each member-States shall have one vote at the Union meetings.

Any Member-States whose contributions to the Union are in arrears for Consecutive years shall forfeit its right to vote in accordance with the present convention.

Any Member –State of the Union may denounce the present Convention by notification addressed to the Secretary-General by diplomatic channels and through the Government of the host-Country of the Union. The Secretary-General shall notify the other Member-States accordingly.

This denunciation shall become operative one year after the date of the receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General.

The plenipotentiaries shall sign the present Convention in three copies of the working languages of the Union, all texts being equally authentic.

A copy shall be deposited with the Government of the host-country of the Union. The two others shall be deposited respectively with the General Secretariats of the Union and the General Secretariat of the OAU

A certified copy conforming to each text shall be forwarded to each of the signatory Member-States by the Secretary General of the Union.

The Conference may decide by a two-thirds majority of votes cast to suspend a Member –State that:

The Conference may, by a two-thirds majority of votes cast, revoke the suspension of a Member-State.

The suspension of a Member-State shall not exempt the Member concerned from fulfilling its financial obligations during the period of suspension.

The suspension of a Member-State for non-payment of contributions shall seize immediately after payment of all its financial obligations to the Union.

Any Member-States may submit a written amendment proposal or the Convention to the Secretary-General who shall communicate it to all Member-States.

Member-States shall have at least six months to study the proposal before it is submitted to the Conference for consideration.

Amendments shall be considered adopted with immediate effect when approved by two-third majority of the Member-States present and voting at a session of the Conference.