UPU to help Côte d’Ivoire harness e-commerce opportunities

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) met high-level representatives from the Government of Côte d’Ivoire this week to boost the participation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the country’s e-commerce market.

Representatives from the UPU, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Trade Centre and Consumers International joined government ministers, regulatory authorities, the Post and other national stakeholders on March 2 to launch the project aimed at improving the country’s e-commerce ecosystem. The Abidjan meeting was organized under UNCTAD’s eTrade for All initiative, of which the UPU is a founding member. “The level of commitment shown by all ministerial stakeholders has paved the way for the UPU and others working in this dynamic partnership to achieve far more than they could on their own.

Whether in last mile delivery, digital payments, virtual marketplaces, or trade facilitation, the postal network’s contribution is critical to driving forward the eTrade for All implementation agenda,” said UPU Resource Mobilization and Stakeholder Engagement Programme Manager, Alexander Thern-Svanberg. Launched in July 2016, eTrade for All is a collaborative effort to scale-up cooperation, transparency and aid-efficiency in the field of inclusive e-commerce. It builds synergies across sectors and engages national governments to help least developed and developing countries to tackle the challenges preventing them from being fully included in global e-commerce.

Cote d’Ivoire’s eTrade for All project will help the country assess its readiness for e-commerce, identifying recommendations to help the government, the Post and other stakeholders develop a favourable environment for e-commerce activities. As part of the cooperation, the UPU will provide a thorough review of postal operations through its operational readiness for e-commerce framework. The project capitalizes on work the UPU has already done in Côte d’Ivoire, including through its Ecom@Africa programme, which seeks to help countries develop accessible and affordable e-commerce solutions. The UPU has also been working to help La Poste Côte d’Ivoire to develop an e-wallet solution for individuals and small businesses with funding from its Financial Inclusion Technical Assistance Facility (FITAF).

For further information, please contact:

David Dadge
Spokesperson Universal Postal Union (UPU)
Mobile: +41 764573654
Work: +41 31 350 31 23
E-mail: david.dadge@upu.int