The theme of the message by Universal Postal Union director general Thomas E. Leavey for this year is that universal postal service is key. This fits in well with the overall World Post Day theme Reaching Everyone Everywhere.

As a British Colony, Malta became a member of the Universal Postal Union in 1875, a year after the UPU was set up, and since then the postal service in the Maltese Islands has been run in accordance with UPU standards and regulations. Thus Malta became the first colony to be a member of the UPU.

On attaining independence on 21 September 1964, the government immediately applied for full membership of the Universal Postal Union. After the required consultations by the UPU with all its members, Malta was accepted as the 127th member in May of 1965.