FIP Today and Tomorrow

The "Fédération Internationale de Philatélie" (FIP) has looked after stamp collectors and philatelists since 1926 - growing from a society of a handful European Philatelic Federations to a Federation with a network throughout the world with

• 91 Regular Members (National Philatelic Federations)
• 3 Associated Members (Continental Federations)
• Promotional Members (a new type of Membership for Postal
  Administrations)

The aims of F.I.P. are:

• to promote stamp collecting and philately
• to maintain friendly relations and friendship among all peoples.
• to establish and maintain close relations with the philatelic trade and postal administrations.
• to promote philatelic exhibitions by granting Patronage and Auspices

The hobby of Stamp Collecting has occupied for more than a century the first place among all hobbies and it earned the distinction of being nicknamed "The King of the Hobbies and the Hobby of Kings". Today the hobby has maintained its special attraction but more effort is needed to uphold the fascination. A survey revealed that three segments of interest in stamp collecting can be discerned, each needing a different approach in promotional work:

• Emerging interest in developing countries,
• growing interest in Asia
• and stagnating to declining interest in industrialised countries.

In 1990 first tentative steps were taken for a collaboration between the philatelic world and UPU. Two symposia on philately were carried through at the UPU Headquarters in Bern resulting in the establishment of the UPU Contact Committee for Philately which was renamed for publicity purposes to World Association for the Development of Philately (W.A.D.P.). The main objectives of W.A.D.P. are

• A world wide promotion campaign for stamp collecting starting with "The Guide for the Development of Philately" for Postal Administrations.
• Seminars for Postal Administrations based on the Guide for the Development of Philately
• Strengthening of the Philatelic Code of Ethics of UPU a recommendation to Postal Administrations to maintain a sound and moderate stamp issuing policy
• Actions against illegal postage stamp issues with the introduction of the World Numbering System.

Stamp shows are the best platform to promote philately and were introduced in the last century as "Salons of Stamps" and have grown to exhibitions with an area of more than 100 000 m². At the beginning these shows were organised and financed by local stamp collector's clubs for their immediate public and developed to World affairs as joint ventures between the host country's Postal Administration and the National Philatelic Federation. Next important philatelic events are planned in:

• SEOUL / Rep. of KOREA - PHILAKOREA 2014
• KUALA LUMPUR / MALAYSIA - MALAYSIA 2014
• SINGAPORE - SINGAPORE 2015
• NEW YORK / USA - NEW YORK 2016

Seminars for beginners and senior collectors as well as for philatelic jurors (national and international) are being organised at all the above Exhibitions under the supervision of the different FIP Commissions.

In the third millennium F.I.P. launched new type of philatelic competitions :

• Started in 2004 - The WORLD STAMP CHAMPIONSHIP (the Olympiad of stamp collectors)
  started 2004 in Singapore. The second one took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2008, the third one in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2012.
• One Frame, Open Philately and Modern Philately Exhibits are well integrated in FIP exhibitions

FIP is convinced that postage stamps will always maintain their status as "little ambassador" of a Nation and therefore also stamp collecting and philately, the more advance variety of stamp collecting, will weather any odds coming their way.