As public service providers with a vast network of service points, Posts have great potential to deliver value to citizens and nations. With this in mind, the UPU designed a forum to unite those at the forefront of national postal policy decisions: ministers.
The UPU launched its first-ever Ministerial Conference during the 25th Universal Postal Congress in Doha, Qatar, in 2012. That conference looked toward “Delivering the 2020 postal vision”. A second conference was held during the 2016 Universal Postal Congress in Istanbul, where ministers discussed the theme “Delivering sustainable development: Connecting citizens, businesses and territories”.
In 2018, ministers will meet for the third time with the support of the UPU. This year’s session will also incorporate the mid-cycle Strategy Conference. Participants will deliberate on the theme “Gearing up the postal sector to drive socio-economic development”, considering the best policies, investments, regulations and partnerships to ensure that the Post can unleash its full potential to benefit society.
Highlights of the conference
With a global network of over 677,000 post offices, 5.3 million staff and physical infrastructure covering
192 countries, the postal sector is a key component of national and international infrastructure. It plays an important role in national development, thus contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Research by the UPU has shown that the sector potentially has a high impact on Goals 8, 9, 11 and 17 of the SDGs.
The postal sector contributes to the achievement of Goal 8 (Decent work and economic growth) by promoting financial inclusion. For Goal 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), the impact is achieved by promoting more robust global value chains. For both of these goals, postal interconnectedness is the key underlying factor.
When it comes to Goal 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), the contribution is expressed through the sector’s greater resilience to natural disasters compared to other elements of the wider logistical infrastructure. For Goal 17 (Partnerships), Posts work as promoters of greater Internet connectivity, leveraging all the underlying strengths of the sector. The statistical findings that lead to these conclusions are all supported by studies and examples of projects in the field.
High-level speakers and moderator
Speakers at the conference will include ministers in charge of the Post, heads of intergovernmental agencies and other high-level representatives of organizations interested in the benefits that Posts can bring to societies and economies worldwide. Around 20 high-level speakers have already confirmed their participation.
The moderator, Alex Taylor, is one of the most experienced event hosts in Europe, having presented more than 700 events around the world over a period of 15 years.
He has produced and presented a wide range of programmes about Europe, mainly on French television and radio, but also for the BBC and VOX TV in Germany. He was also Programme Director of Radio France Internationale. Currently he hosts I-Talk on Euronews, interviewing Europe’s leading policy-makers in the European Parliament.
Alex has vast experience dealing with all kinds of personalities and situations, ranging from
Queen Elizabeth II, President Clinton, Nelson Mandela and various prime ministers, to CEOs. He also has experience working with people less experienced on the stage. He has written several books, including one on the wonderful untranslatability of languages.
To watch the Extraordinary Congress via live streaming, please go to: webtv.un.org
For further information, please contact:
David DadgeManager, Communication and Events ProgrammeUniversal Postal Union (UPU)Executive Office DirectorateT + 251944325227E david.dadge@upu.int