The 26th Universal Postal Congress, hosted by the Republic of Turkey, will open on 20 September.
Some 2000 delegates from each of the world’s regions will convene during this year’s Congress to lay a roadmap for the UPU’s 2017-2020 work cycle, based on the draft Istanbul World Postal Strategy. Plenipotentiaries gather every four years to set the Union’s work in motion.
The strategy is centred on three goals: improving the interoperability of the postal network, ensuring sustainable and modern postal products, and fostering market and sector functioning.
The Union made many achievements during the Doha cycle, however, the postal sector still faces a new frontier with the development of new technologies, increased demand for e-commerce and emergence of new competitors.
“Rapidly changing technologies have created new market realities, which in turn are driving alternative service options and a whole new set of customer expectations. The Post and the UPU are in the spotlight: they must now, more than ever, evolve to remain relevant,” said UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein.
The new World Postal Strategy—based on the Vision 2020 pillars innovation, integration and inclusion—would drive transformations to the scope of postal business, including transformation of the Union itself.
The proposed reform would merge the UPU’s Council of Administration (CA) and Postal Operations Council (POC) into one UPU Council. The structural transformation would speed up the decision-making process and decrease work duplication.
Ministerial Conference
The UPU will also host its second Ministerial Conference on 4 October, where ministers responsible for the Post will discuss the role postal services can play in serving national and global development.
Guided by the theme “Delivering Sustainable Development: Connecting Citizens, Businesses and Territories,” their deliberations will focus on how the Post can help accomplish the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Their discussions will explore areas such as postal financial inclusion, trade facilitation and the Posts involvement in the digital economy.
Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, Ahmet Arslan, will co-chair the event with Ivory Coast’s Minister Posts, ICTs and Communication, Bruno Nabagné Kone. UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein will open the conference and deliver a keynote speech.
Elections
During the Congress, member countries will also elect the director general and deputy director general, as well as leadership for the UPU bodies.
Hussein, from Kenya, and his deputy Pascal Clivaz, from Switzerland, were elected in 2012 at the 25th Universal Postal Congress in Doha. If re-elected, the pair would serve another four years as head of the UPU’s International Bureau in Berne, Switzerland.