Soliloquy on a Postage Stamp #58 - The International Cooperation Year, 1965 : Fouad Kronfol

This week I continue with the thematic focus of the Column as I feature philatelic materials issued for the UN's International Cooperation Year (ICY) in 1965. In these troubled times it is worth looking back at a period when the nations of the world ,especially the developing countries, were seeing their futures in more positive terms and seeing the United Nations as a major actor in supporting their progress.

Most of this week's material is from Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa .

From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia we have this two stamp set issued for the ICY. They have the standard logo of two hands shaking. Interesting that while the ICY is written in English and Arabic, the country's name is in French and Arabic.

This is a stamp from Libya issued for ICY. It also has the standard logo and the inscription in English and Arabic.

The Kingdom of Jordan issued this three set for ICY. They have the standard logo and the inscription in both Arabic and English.

An attractive air mail stamp from the Syrian Arab Republic shows the ICY logo over a drawing of an urban scene (I guess that it is the Omayyad Mosque and Souk in Damascus) with two mosque minarets and a background of mountains with a flock of pidgeons flying over.

From the Kingdom of Morocco we have this stamp issued for ICY. It has the standard logo and the inscription in Arabic and French.

Here we have a four stamp block issued by the Yemen Arab Republic for ICY. Unlike the other countries, Yemen issued the stamp in vertical format.The inscriptions are in Arabic and English (the word "International" has been abridged to" Inter" presumably because the width of the stamp could not take the whole word.). The standard ICY logo has the UN Emblem over it. The post mark shows the stamps were sent from Sanaa on 7 August 1973

From the Republic of Sudan we have this three stamp set issued for ICY also in vertical format. In addition to the standard logo the stamps have the profile of a human head with turban on top.

This four stamp set was issued by the Emirate of Khor Fakkan, one of the Dependencies of the Emirate of Sharjah,itself one of those in the United Arab Emirates. All four stamps show the Emir of Sharjah with a photo of a world leader (Charles De Gaulle, Lyndon Johnson, King Faisal and Nasser). The four stamps have the standard ICY logo and the inscription in Arabic and English.

Similar to the above here is a four stamp set from the Emirate of Sharjah with the photo of the Emir and those of four other world leaders.

The same formula is used by the Emirate of Ras Al Khaima in issuing these four stamps for the ICY. They show the Emir with four different world leaders. The standard logo is below the photos of the leaders who are joined together with a chain link, representing close cooperation.

Another four stamp set from the Emirate of Sharjah continues on the same principle of photos of the Emir with those of four other world leaders.

Again we have a second four stamp set from the Emirate of Ras Al Khaima issued for ICY with the photo of its Emir and those of four other world leaders.

Fouad Kronfol can be reached via fouadkronfol@videotron.ca

  

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