Development cooperation is included in the UPU mission statement enshrined in the Union’s Constitution. As key element of the UPU's mission, it supports countries in their efforts to develop the postal sector and ensure the strengthening of universal postal service as well as the modernization of the offer of value-added postal services to meet customers’ and citizens’ expectations
Through projects and methodological approaches, development cooperation is a fundamental tool, which aims at adapting the postal sector to new expectations and reduce the postal divide between industrialized and developing countries within a coherent policy framework based on sustained coordination with bilateral and multilateral partners
The UPU development cooperation action is structured around the eight main development areas:
1. The regional approach through Regional Development Plans (RDPs) - a primary tool for all field activities supporting developing countries, in line with the specific needs of beneficiary countries and regions
2. The UPU’s Integrated Index for Postal Development (2IPD) guide the cooperation strategy so as to ensure, in the future, a direct link with the existing national situation and the cooperation activities to be implemented, thus ensuring systematic monitoring of outcomes in the short, medium and long term
3. The UPU’s presence in the field - a flexible framework capable of meeting the emerging needs of the postal market increasing the involvement of the stakeholders already operating in the various regions. This new approach should boost the UPU’s activities and enable greater decentralization of UPU actions in the field
4. Support in operational areas - to reduce disparity in postal sector growth and promote the application of common standards by all postal operators
5. The South-South and triangular cooperation approach - a coherent and dynamic development tool to strengthen UPU activities in the field, as part of a wider framework aimed at greater integration with UN policy in this area
6. Cooperation activities aimed at LDCs - a priority area within a more comprehensive framework that takes into account programmes developed by other regional organizations in favour of countries whose governments are prepared to play a greater role in postal sector modernization
7. The enhancement of human resource capabilities - Training courses adapted to country-specific needs through structured approaches and by capitalizing on national and regional training centres, which should become veritable teaching platforms for the postal sector. The TRAINPOST platform is a top priority within cooperation activities, serving to promote interaction and synergy between national, regional and interregional training centres
8. Disaster risk management activities - a programme aimed at reinforcing countries’ ability to respond more effectively to the various natural events – significantly more numerous in recent years – that have an impact on continuity of service and postal development
The UPU presence in the field is a tool that allows the deployment of the UPU development cooperation in the various regions of the world.
The system's practical structure, based on the regional approach, consists of the International Bureau Development Cooperation Directorate – DCDEV) and the regional relays.
Detailed description of the various areas of intervention and how the UPU Presence in the Field is organized and implemented
In view of the current global health crisis and rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Development Cooperation team has undertaken several initiatives aimed at protecting the health of postal employees, with a particular focus on least developed countries (LDCs)
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