Issue date: 14 Oct, 2005
This year the America UPAEP series, issued every year with a common theme by member countries of the Postal Union of America, Spain and Portugal, is dedicated to the struggle against poverty.
Official data point out that nearly 1,100 million people survive in a state of extreme poverty on less than a dollar a day. The depressed regions are in Africa, South Asia and Eastern Asia, South America and parts of the Caribbean. The campaign to raise awareness of the fight against poverty began in 2000 when the General Assembly of the United Nations passed, with the support of 189 Heads of State and Government, the Millennium Development Goals, which they undertook to reach before 2015. There were eight main goals: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development. However, this commitment seems out of reach for the date initially foreseen. So as to put world leaders (G-8) under pressure, meetings and demonstrations have taken place this year so that the goals should be fulfilled. In order to make world leaders live up to their promises and to make a breakthrough against poverty, a movement called Global Call to Action Against Poverty has been launched . This is a worldwide alliance of actors around the common cause of ending poverty made up of: existing coalitions, community trade groups, trade unions, individuals, religious and faith groups, campaigners and hundreds of NGO’s all united under a white band as a symbol of the fight against poverty. In the stamp this battle is depicted as a group of hands over a blue background symbolising: education, by means of a pencil; work, by means of a tool; food, by means of a piece of bread and finally two open hands receiving it all. The design is the work of Enrique J. Carrero, a painter and sculptor well known in philately for being the author of other stamp designs and logos of philatelic exhibitions.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.