Last week’s fourth Extraordinary Congress in Riyadh updated the UPU’s General Regulations to enhance the role of the UPU CC. In doing so, the 192 UPU member countries recognized the importance of WPSPs and formalized their involvement in the development and revision of rules and procedures, and in the global harmonization of the sector’s messaging and technical specifications. This development also opens the door to possible new forms of cooperation, such as the postal prosperity zone initiative.
At the 27th UPU Congress in Abidjan in 2021, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) decided to hold an Extraordinary Congress in 2023 – the RiyadhCongress, focusing on opening the UPU up to wider postal sector players (WPSPs), on UPU products and services, and on matters related to sustainability.
The 27th Congress established that the UPU Consultative Committee (CC) would represent the WPSPs and facilitate their engagement in the deliberations and development of the postal sector: since July 2022, over 25 prominent companies and associations have become UPU CC members.
Last week’s fourth Extraordinary Congress in Riyadh updated the UPU’s General Regulations to enhance the role of the UPU CC.
In doing so, the 192 UPU member countries recognized the importance of WPSPs and formalized their involvement in the development and revision of rules and procedures, and in the global harmonization of the sector’s messaging and technical specifications.
This development also opens the door to possible new forms of cooperation, such as the postal prosperity zone initiative.
𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲
A large number of UPU member countries have indicated their interest in the UPU CC’s Postal Prosperity Zone initiative. Its aim is twofold:
- To use globally harmonized UPU data and technical standards to connect with the UPU’s trusted and secure ITnetwork infrastructure in real time; and
- For designated postal operators to seamlessly cooperate with all types of delivery services providers based on electronic data exchanged in advance.
In effect, the PPZ initiative establishes unified, global connectivity for digital retail. It offers direct access to the domestic B2C delivery networks of the UPU’s 192 member countries and their designated operators via a single real-time network, covering all processes related to customs, import duties, transport security and accounting of carbon and GHG emissions based on collective targets of a 30% reduction in 2030 for Tier I DOs, and a 85% reduction for all DOs by 2050.
Given the growing WPSP involvement in the UPU via the Consultative Committee, the PPZ initiative will also be complemented by other initiatives linked to direct postal-delivery-related marketing, as well as new globalstandards on materials used for packaging, and recycling or reuse in the circular economy.
UPU's 4th Extraordinary Congress promotional video.