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In 1981, the General Assembly of the United Nations announced that 1983 would be known as ‘World Communication Year’ (part of the Transport and Communication Decade in Africa). The primary objective was intended to act as recognition of the fundamental importance of communications infrastructures to the economic and social development across the planet — providing all countries an opportunity to review their communications development policies and to speed up the building of communications infrastructures.

The World Communications Year stamp was designed by Montréal based Raymond Bellemare. His solution incorporates a symbolic rainbow coloured globe, surrounded by orbits (created from 4 overlapping circles) — suggesting the universal nature of communication and the impact of technical innovation. The stamp’s printed background is a striking metallic silver with typography printed in black in and set in Helvetica throughout.

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