Philatelists of all ages, whether they have a prestigious collection or simply one they're proud of, have always wanted to show it off, and measure it against others. Competitions were therefore organized for collectors and individuals. And since only comparable things can be compared, philately was classified as collection classes.

In 2008, giving the fact that no class existed for modern philately, or for postal administrations, the UPU and the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) decided to join forces to develop a competition class for designated operators, each vying with the other in creativity to present their novelties. The newly-created competition was immediately approved by philately's highest authorities, and judged by FIP-accredited jurors.

The first competition took place in 2008 in Bucharest (Romania), and has continued ever since, with at least one competition every year. These competitions naturally find their place at major world exhibitions, where they complement historical exhibits by offering an up-to-date view of contemporary philately. The latest, the 18th, was exhibited and judged in Bangkok, Thailand, from 27 November to 2 December 2023, on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of Thai Postal Services and the Thailand 2023 World Stamp Championship Exhibition, as always, with great success. The public, collectors and dealers all love modern philately, and appreciate the opportunity to learn about and compare the expertise of postal operators.

For the designated operators, a UPU international competition class is an opportunity to showcase their philatelic expertise at a lower cost, and to promote the "made in" of each country worldwide.

From 2024 onwards, the UPU and FIP have taken a major step forward, increasing their visibility even further. The 19th competition class will travel the world and be exhibited at various international philatelic exhibitions throughout 2024. Presented on three continents, it will travel to Asia, Europe and North America, raising the profile of modern philately.

Organized according to traditional sixteen-page panels, each operator highlights the themes of their choice, reflecting their issue programs over the last three years. Each stamp includes full technical information (value, use, date of issue, etc.).

To create a closer link between visitors and participating operators, QR codes are affixed to the margins of the collections to provide direct access to their e-commerce platform and website.