Editing Universal Postal Union (section)

===Observers===

[[Palestinian National Authority|Palestine]] is an observer state in the UN, and it was granted special observer status to the UPU in 1999. In 2008 Israel agreed for Palestine's mail to be routed through Jordan,<ref name=UPUPal>{{cite web |url=http://www.upu.int/en/media-centre/news/union-postale-emag/archived-news/archive/2009/april/category/union-postale-emag/article/650/palestinian-parcel-post-gets-a-boost.html |title=Palestinian parcel post gets a boost |publisher=Universal Postal Union (UPU) |access-date=26 September 2010 |archive-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110614232208/http://www.upu.int/en/media-centre/news/union-postale-emag/archived-news/archive/2009/april/category/union-postale-emag/article/650/palestinian-parcel-post-gets-a-boost.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27622&Cr=UPU&Cr1= |title=Israel and Palestinians to boost postal services with help from UN agency |date=7 August 2008 |publisher=Un.org |access-date=24 October 2008 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304201717/http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27622&Cr=UPU&Cr1= |url-status=live }}</ref> although this had not been implemented as of November 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.upu.int/nd/new-resolution-adopted-on-palestinian-postal-operations/ |title=New resolution adopted on Palestinian postal operations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429075733/http://news.upu.int/nd/new-resolution-adopted-on-palestinian-postal-operations/ |archive-date=29 April 2014 |work=UPU |date=22 March 2012 |access-date=28 April 2014 }}</ref> Palestine began receiving direct mail in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lazaroff |first=Tovah |title=Palestinians to receive direct mail for the first time |work=Arab Israeli Conflict |publisher=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=4 September 2016 |url=https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Palestinians-to-receive-direct-mail-for-the-first-time-466872 |access-date=1 August 2021 |archive-date=22 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922091442/https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/palestinians-to-receive-direct-mail-for-the-first-time-466872 |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2018, Palestine signed papers of accession to the UPU.<ref>{{cite news |last1=RASGON |first1=Adam |title=Times of Israel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-mulling-consequences-after-palestinians-join-international-bodies/ |access-date=3 February 2019 |date=18 November 2018 |archive-date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517045104/https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-mulling-consequences-after-palestinians-join-international-bodies/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, its bid for membership was defeated in September 2019 by a vote of 56 in support, 23 abstaining, 7 countries in opposition, and 106 countries not responding to the request to vote (which, according to UPU rules, led them to be tallied as abstentions)—leaving the bid substantially short of the required two-thirds majority of UPU members.<ref>{{cite news |title=UN rejects Palestinian Authority request to join the Universal Postal Union |url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/un-rejects-palestinian-authority-request-to-join-the-universal-postal-union-1.910930 |work=The National |date=16 September 2019 |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=15 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815023802/https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/un-rejects-palestinian-authority-request-to-join-the-universal-postal-union-1.910930 |url-status=live }}</ref>