Issue date: 04 Jul, 2007
As homage to the humanitarian and peace tasks carried out by the Spanish army all around the world, a stamp is issued devoted to the Armed Forces in Peace Missions.
The Spanish armed forces officially began their participation in peace operations in 1989, although they had previously participated in similar tasks which are now called “peace operations” . During the twenties, Spanish troops were part of the international contingents in Shanghai and the Guardia Civil took part with the French police in Tangier (Morocco). Also during the war of Vietnam, a group of volunteers gave medical help in the hospital of southern Saigon and years later, cooperated in Equatorial Guinea. In 1889, and by the new Resolution of the Security Council of the UN, the Spanish armed forces began to participate in the so called peace operations, taking part in Angola and Namibia. The UN distinguishes between two kinds of peacekeeping operations; unarmed observer groups concerned with gathering information for the UN about actual conditions prevailing in an area and lightly-armed military forces. which are only allowed to employ their weapons for self-defense and are entrusted with more extended tasks, such as keeping the parties to a conflict apart and maintaining order in an area. In 1992, the Secretary-General of the UN established the following definitions: Preventive diplomacy is action to prevent disputes from arising between parties, to prevent existing disputes from escalating into conflicts and to limit the spread of the latter when they occur. Peacemaking is action to bring hostile parties to agreement, essentially through such peaceful means as those foreseen in Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations and Peace-keeping is the deployment of a United Nations presence in the field, hitherto with the consent of all the parties concerned, normally involving United Nations military and/or police personnel and frequently civilians as well. Peace-keeping is a technique that expands the possibilities for both the prevention of conflict and the making of peace. Post-conflict peace-building is the action to identify and support structures which will tend to strengthen and solidify peace in order to avoid a relapse into conflict. Humanitarian Aid, is compatible with all the rest. Since 1989, Spain has participated in 52 peace and humanitarian aid operations in Europe, Asia, South America, Middle East and Africa with nearly 72,000 soldiers of the three armies. Actually armed forces are deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Lebanon and have observers in ex Yugoslavia, Darfur, Kosovo, Eritrea and R.D: Congo.
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.