The UPU Regional Strategy Forum for Africa is being held 13 and 14 June in Arusha, Tanzania. The meeting will provide regional inputs to the UPU’s global postal strategy for 2026-2029.
In opening remarks to the forum, UPU Deputy Director General Marjan Osvald encouraged member countries to take ownership of the strategy development process to ensure a future-ready UPU.“Both the global postal sector and the UPU are facing new risks; however, with these risks come new opportunities. For this reason, we need an optimistic and forward-looking strategy that focuses on getting the groundwork right, to help to ensure that our Union can go from strength to strength,” he said.
For his part, Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) Secretary General Sifundo Chief Moyo highlighted the post as a symbol of “African development and determination” and a “vehicle for socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation”. He emphasized its essential role as a driver of inclusion, particularly for women and youth.
“Together let us pave the way for a resilient, innovative and inclusive African postal sector,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the host country was Deputy Permanent Secretary of Tanzania's Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology Nicholaus Merinyo Mkapa, who said, “This significant event in Arusha marks an important step in our collective effort to enhance the postal sector’s connectivity … I would like to reaffirm the readiness of the Government of Tanzania to work with the UPU and other international organizations to promote the Sustainable Development Goals and the development of the global community.”
The forum is the second in a global roadshow that began in the Caribbean and will continue in Latin America, the Arab region, Europe and CIS, and Asia-Pacific this September.
The series of consultations will provide essential feedback from leaders in government and of postal operators towards the proposed strategy that will be reviewed and approved during the organization’s 2025 Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The current draft narrows in on three central goals that target enhanced global connectivity, innovation for a strengthened sector, and collaboration on global postal development.
The next strategic forum will be held for the Latin American region on 3 and 4 September in Bogotá, Colombia.