Post Office (Universal Postal Service) Amendment Ordinance 2025

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POST OFFICE (DESIGNATION OF UNIVERSAL POSTAL SERVICES OPERATOR) AMENDMENT ORDINANCE

An Ordinance to designate the Pitcairn Post Office as the Designated Operator for the purposes of the Universal Postal Convention and other Acts of the Universal Postal Union.

Citation and commencement	1. –(1) This Ordinance may be cited as the Post Office (Designation of Universal Postal Services Operator) Amendment Ordinance 2025. (2) This Ordinance shall come into force on the day after it is published.
Principal Ordinance	2. This Ordinance amends the Post Office Ordinance.
Section 2 amended (Interpretation)	3. In section 2, insert the following definitions in appropriate alphabetical order: “postal services” means ensuring the collection, processing, transmission and delivery of postal packets; “Universal Postal Convention” means the Universal Postal Convention adopted by the member countries of the Universal Postal Union at Abidjan on 26 August 2021, as amended from time to time; “Universal postal service” means the permanent provision of quality basic postal services at all points within the territory, available to all consumers at affordable prices; “Universal Postal Union Acts” means the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union adopted at Vienna on 10 July 1960 and all instruments adopted by that Union, as amended from time to time and so far as they are extended to Pitcairn;
Section 3 amended (Establishment of Post Office)	4. Replace section 3 with the following section: 3. Establishment of Post Office (1) The Governor shall establish a Post Office in Pitcairn Island. (2) The Post Office established under this section is the designated operator for the purposes of the Universal Postal Union Acts. (4) The Post Office is responsible for providing a universal postal service.
Section 5 amended (Regulations)	5. In section 5, add the following subsection: (2) In making Regulations under this section, the Mayor and Governor shall have regard to any requirements and principles set out in the Universal Postal Union Acts.
Section 6 amended (Fees)	6. In section 6, add the following subsections: (2) In prescribing fees, rates or charges under this section, the Mayor and Governor must seek to ensure that– (a) the prices are affordable, and (b) the prices take account of the costs of providing the service or part of a service. (3) In prescribing fees, rates or charges under this section, the Mayor and Governor shall have regard to any requirements and principles set out in the Universal Postal Union Acts. (4) The Mayor with the approval of the Governor may exempt specific items or classes of items from charges, and must do so where such exemption is required under the Universal Postal Union Acts.
Section 9 amended (Postage stamps)	7. In section 9, add the following subsection: (3) Postage stamps provided under this section must be consistent with the requirements of the Universal Postal Union Acts.

Post Office (Designation of Universal Postal Services Operator) Amendment Ordinance 2025

This Ordinance makes amendments to designate the Pitcairn Post Office as the Designated Operator, for the purposes of the Universal Postal Convention and other Acts of the Universal Postal Union.

This designation is required so that Pitcairn can comply with changes in international requirements affecting postal movements, and in particular so that post from Pitcairn will continue to be accepted internationally.

The amendments make the designation, and require the Post Office to be responsible for providing a “universal postal service” as defined in the Universal Postal Convention. This means that the Post Office must provide postal services (collection, processing, transmission and delivery of postal packets) across Pitcairn and to all consumers at affordable prices.

The fees relating to post are set by the Mayor with the approval of the Governor (s 5). To ensure this is consistent with the requirement that postal services be affordable, this Ordinance amends section 5 to require the Mayor and Governor, when prescribing fees, to seek to ensure such fees are affordable, while also taking into account the costs of providing the service.

In my opinion, this draft Ordinance is consistent with the Constitution. It aims to bring aspects of the Pitcairn postal services into line with obligations currently held by the United Kingdom, and that the Pitcairn Government wishes to have extended to Pitcairn.

Pitcairn Islands Sessional Legislation

Post Office (Universal Postal Service) Amendment Ordinance 2025 - Act No 1 of 2026