Europe & CIS

The region comprises the countries of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Development Cooperation  implemented in the region is managed by a regional team at UPU IB headquarters and two regional offices located in Tbilisi (Georgia) and Ankara (Türkiye).

In 2017–2019, 54 activities from 15 development and cooperation projects were carried out. These activities included consultancy missions, training workshops, equipment procurement and individual training sessions carried out as part of the ORE, postal financial services, postal sector reform, and certain interregional projects. To date, the project execution rate in the region is 81%. During this same period, all project performance indicators were satisfactorily achieved, in accordance with the established objectives.

As part of the ORE project, 12 on-site missions, 12 group training workshops, and two individual trainings in favour of three countries (7 specialists) were conducted in 2017–2019 aimed at strengthening the human resource capacity of beneficiary countries. Eight DOs benefited from the assistance of consultants and are currently making changes and improvements to their processes in order to optimize their e-commerce activities. The 15 DOs participating in the project all have a roadmap and a detailed action plan in place setting out the agreed-upon goals and the steps to follow to reach them by the end of 2020.

More than 90 items of IT equipment, were provided to beneficiary countries under the ORE project, enabling postal infrastructure and supply chain to be improved in line with the service development needs of these countries.

Two training workshops on postal financial services and one on e-services and diversification were also held. Two consultancy missions were carried out. The first one as part of the postal sector reform project and the second, as part the postal payment services project, in order to help the beneficiary countries improve their processes in those areas.

During the 2017–2019, some 423 postal officials from 20 DOs of the region were trained at various thematic regional workshops organized within the framework of the regional development plan, with the participation of over 200 UPU fellowship-holders. 

It should be noted that a number of activities carried out in the region as part of the projects are being conducted in cooperation with PostEurop and RCC, with financial assistance from La Poste France.

The regional development plan (RDP) is an effective and homogeneous tool for deploying UPU actions in the field, based on two fundamental principles:

• The integration of all cooperation activities within the International Bureau. The DCDEV acts as an interface between the various International Bureau programmes and developing countries requiring assistance;
• Regionalization, in order to meet the specific needs of each region. The UPU creates synergies with regional players, and strengthens and diversifies cooperation mechanisms in the field.

The RDP provides a shared platform for all cooperation players whose objectives and priorities are the same, and who share available resources in the best possible way.

Methodology

The methodological approach for the RDP clearly defines the roles of the various players in the process of formulating and implementing the plan and projects in the various regions.