• Visit date: January 16 2024
• The visited post office: Post Office in UN Headquarter in Geneva
• Cost of sending mail: same as in Geneva, Switzerland 1.20, Europa 1.90, Rest of the world 2,50 CHF
• Postcard availability: There was a large choice in different shops in Geneva and a solid selection at the souvenir shop right beside the UN post office.

The Basics Behind the UN Post Office

The United Nations is the world’s largest international organization focused on maintaining peace, fostering cooperation, and promoting good relations between nations. It has its main base in New York City, but also has major offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and The Hague (where the International Court of Justice is located). However, only three of these locations—New York, Geneva, and Vienna—have their own UN post offices.

Now, you might be wondering, why does the UN even have its own post offices and stamps? Well, it’s a bit of a unique situation. As the UN isn’t a country, it can’t use national stamps. That’s why in 1951, the UN created its own postal administration, the UNPA, and why it issues its own stamps. These stamps can only be used in the UN offices in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, but they’re popular among collectors and also help promote the UN’s message. This unique situation has led to the creation of stamps that are not only for postage but also for communicating the UN’s values and messages. 

Speaking of Geneva, its UN post office, located in the Palais des Nations, has a particularly interesting history. It actually began as the post office for the League of Nations, so it’s been a center for international mail for nearly a century. 

UN.ORG, UN Wikipedia, https://unstamps.org/

Our UN Post Office Experience in Geneva

The planning for our trip to Geneva actually began with booking a tour of the UN buildings, as the post office is otherwise inaccessible. The UN headquarters in Geneva is currently undergoing a major renovation, which has made tourist access to the premises even more limited than before. Without a guide, you’re not allowed on the grounds (unless you’re an employee or diplomat). Anyway, we successfully booked a tour for a suitable time, and then the plane tickets and hotel followed.

There’s really no point in arriving at the premises earlier than the scheduled time, as you won’t be allowed on the grounds anyway. It was a lot more open a few years ago, when you could buy tickets for a tour right at the gate, but now we made a booking two months in advance. Having arrived an hour early, we had the chance to visit the Red Cross museum and house, which are located across the road from the entrance to the European headquarters of the UN (Palais des Nations).

The tour itself proved to be very interesting. It turned out that the UN headquarters buildings in Geneva are located in Ariana Park, which was left to the city at the end of the 19th century by its last owner, Gustave Revilliod. His conditions were that a park be created for the enjoyment of the city’s residents, that he be buried there, and that peacocks be allowed to roam freely on the grounds. We also heard that there are currently 193 member states in the UN, that the six official languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, that the newest member is South Sudan, which joined in 2011. And also, that out of the descendants of the peacocks that were a gift from a Japanese zoo, only one is left and they’re not planning on getting a companion for it at the moment.

The tour ended with a visit to the post office, which was a counter open to the foyer. As expected, the selection of stamps available there was vast. We had received our stamps as a gift from a fellow postcrosser Sam – many thanks to him – so we didn’t buy postmarks from here. The denominations were in Swiss francs (in the New York UNPA, they’re in dollars, and in the Vienna UNPA, they’re in euros),  the cost to send a postcard was the same as anywhere in Switzerland. Postcards sent from here are indeed canceled at this post office, before they continue their journey through the Swiss postal system.

It was as if Josephina, the kind and experienced employee, was already waiting for us at the counter. Spotting our prepared cards, she immediately invited us behind the counter and showed us the date stamp. Andry, who usually stamps better than most postal workers we’ve met, admitted that Josephina’s technique was even better than his. And so, the two of them canceled our postcards and spread them across the table to allow time for them to dry and ensure the stamp ink wouldn’t smudge.

The souvenir shop was located next to the post office and, naturally, sold postcards among other things. Some of them were the same as those sold in the city, but one-of-a-kind flag cards were specifically printed for UNPA post offices. One of them featured the United Nations flag itself. As countries change over time, so do the flag cards. We also wanted to buy a card with the new Afghan flag, but there weren’t any cards with it. Our guide, Nina, explained that it was because the UN doesn’t recognize the current government of Afghanistan, which it deems a terrorist organization, and that’s why the postcard shows the old flag. Fair enough

And with that, our time at the UN was over, but the day was followed by a wonderful concert in the beautiful Victoria Hall, and then, on the next evening, the opening of the light festival on the shores of Lake Geneva. It was like the days went full circle, moving from the history and bureaucracy of global cooperation to the vibrant arts and lights of the city, leaving us with lasting memories of Geneva.

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