The Postal History of ICAO

United Nations : ICAO Safety in the Air

Issue date: 12/06/1978

Souvenir card (size: 8 by 6 in., with full color litho illustrating complete stamp set) displaying the various stamps issued by the United Nations in honour of ICAO (1955 and 1978 issues). Statement by the Secretary-General, Kurt Waldheim. Facsimile signature of the Secretary General.

Souvenir card autographed by Dr. Assad Kotaite, President of the ICAO Council, and Mr. Yves Lambert, ICAO Secretary General:

Souvenir card with the New York date cancellation on the 13-cent stamp:

Souvenir card with the Geneva date cancellation on the F.s. 0.70 stamp:

Souvenir card with the Capex hand-stamp.

Established in 1874, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) includes most postal administrations. Canada became a member in 1878 and hosted the UPU Executive Committee Meeting in Ottawa in 1933. In 1957, the 14^th UPU Congress was held in Ottawa, with its proceedings occurring in the House of Commons. CAPEX 78 International Philatelic Exhibition, held from 9 to 18 June 1978 in the Automotive Building, Exhibition Place, Toronto, was the occasion to commemorate the centenary of Canada joining the Union. The acronym CAPEX stands for CAnadian Philatelic EXhibition.

Souvenir card with hand cancel: UNITED NATIONS NEW YORK. Dated 12 September 1978 (2 months after the actual issue).

Souvenir cards mounted on Rowland Hill Gesellschaft hingeless album sheet with explanatory notes - Geschichte der Luftfahrt – New York and Geneva cancellations:

Approved die proof on 25 October 1977 by Mr. Ole Hamann, chief of the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA):

Souvenir cards mounted on an album page with the UN emblem on the left-side.

ICAO News Release PIO 4/78 announcing the issue of the UN souvenir cards related to ICAO.

Background: This souvenir card was released by the UN Postal Administration (UNPA), and coincided with the “ICAO – Safety in the Air” stamp issue; it marked ICAO’s outstanding work over three decades.

Mr. Ole Hamann was chief of the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) from 1971 to 1979. Prior to 1971, Mr. Hamann was chief of the UN Graphic Presentation Unit and has designed thirty-two UN stamps as well as stamps for other countries. He is a graduate of Copenhagen's Kunthandvaeker School of the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts and was president of the United Nations Art Club from 1955 to 1969. Advisor to the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) in its philatelic activities, he also contributed designs in 1968 for three of its first day covers: the Henrik Starke statue, the UNIDO and the 20-cent airmail.