18.04.2012 - Faster mail processing is on the cards for twelve countries that recently complied with the Universal Postal Union's voluntary standard on electronic-address templates.
The UPU recently awarded compliance certificates to Serbia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Iran, Slovakia, Poland, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia and Uganda.
The total number of countries complying with S42 now stands at 29.
The standard has two parts: one provides a generic list of address elements used in all UPU member countries, while the other contains templates showing users how to turn those elements into a properly formatted address.
A UPU working group helps member countries develop S42 templates based on a sample of properly formatted addresses. It then provides the templates as electronic files that are easy to use and integrate into software managing addresses.
As a standards organization, the UPU manages some 100 technical norms aimed at improving the quality of mail processing across the globe.
About addressing
Quality addressing and postcode systems are essential to the socio-economic infrastructure and development of a country. They also form the cornerstone of quality postal services, facilitating business transactions and hence the country's economic growth.
Activities of the UPU
- Addressing the world: an address for everyone Initiative and Campaign
- Assistance to countries to develop or improve addressing and postcode systems
- International postal addressing standards
- International address data management
Addressing the world - An address for everyone
This initiative aims to create synergies between United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations, academia, NGOs, development banks and the private sector in order to find shared solutions to the issue of addressing.
The UPU helps countries to develop and improve their national addressing and postcode systems. The technical assistance activities comprise physical addresses, national address standard, postcodes or postal databases.
International standards
The UPU develops addressing standards to facilitate interoperability of name and address data, enable address validation and provide guidelines for building and maintaining address infrastructures. This activity is coordinated with other standardization organizations like CEN and ISO.
International address data management
The UPU gathers, analyzes and processes international postal data in order to improve the quality of international addressing. The UPU develops solutions suitable for cleansing, validating and standardizing international addresses, including advice for designated operators regarding addressing products and services.
Addressing standards
The UPU has developed two addressing standards: S42 and S53.
Standard S42: International postal address components and templates
The S42 international addressing standard consists of two parts:
S42 part A defines:
- a set of postal address components used in worldwide addresses;
- languages for expressing address templates, i.e. formal descriptions of address formatting rules.
S42 part B:
- provides country-specific address templates. A country defining its S42 template provides precise information about its address elements and formatting rules.
- creates a library of templates that can be easily incorporated into computer systems for managing addresses.
Standard S 53: Exchange of name and address data
S53 facilitates exchange of name and address data between postal authorities, businesses, mailers and other organizations. It incorporates the S42 elements and templates.
S42 International Addressing Standards
The S42 international addressing standard comprises of a generic list of address elements (used in all UPU member countries) and country-specific templates that tell users how to transform address elements into an accurately formatted address.
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