Universal postal union is one of the oldest specialized agencies of the United Nations Organization and has its beginning in the late 19th century. Sri Lanka first obtained membership in the year 01.04.1875 while being under the British Empire and thereafter in the year 13.07.1949 as an independent nation.

The universal postal union earlier known as general postal union was first inaugurated in the year 1874 in the city of Berne in Switzerland. The first meeting of postal administrations was called by the then postmaster general of United States of America Mr. Montigomery Blair. He took the initiative to call the meeting of postal administrations and 22 postal administrations attended the inaugural meeting. This was the first ever conference of administrations who were providing postal services in an organized manner.

Prior to this event postal services have been provided by groups organized among themselves and utilizing their available manpower. These groups were able to provide the basic postal facility being the letter delivery. With the passing of time these, small groups were brought together by Mr. henrich Von Stephen of German and were able to provide an organized postal communications.Since the formation of the General Postal Union of 1874 there have been several meetings of thisorganization to be identified as the World Congresses. These meetings were held once in five years and the venues have been shifted from country to country and continent to continent.

Though there have been regular congresses of the Universal Postal union being held, there is no a special day to mark this achievements and attainments of the postal services. The world congress of 1969 held in the city of Tokyo, Japan took the most important decision that to commemorate the achievements and attainments of the postal services by declaring October 09 th as a special day for the postal sector remembering the day on which the 22 postal organizations signed the first memorandum of understanding in the year 1874.

The Hamburg Congress of 1984 named the commemoration of 09th October as the World Post Day.Since the decision of the Tokyo congress of 1969 the World post Day has been celebrated every year on 09th October with all the fanfare and other special events marking the day.