The Postal Social Services Project

Posts provide many services that improve people’s quality of life. In additional to their core letter and parcel delivery services, Posts are active in areas such as health and social care, education, and community development. This social role is gaining greater recognition as Posts form partnerships with governments, industry and communities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and, more broadly, to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Photo: Correos De Costa Rica

The UPU supports the diversification of postal operations as a strategic response to the pace of technological and social change (Istanbul World Postal Strategy 2017–2020), and to generate additional revenue, increase competitiveness and remain relevant. The need for governments to leverage the postal network for socio-economic development is one of the four key areas of action outlined in the Abidjan Postal Strategy 2021–2024 (document CA C 3 2019.2–Doc 3).

A project to review, synthesize and promote postal social services was initiated in November 2019 with sponsorship from the Ministry of Internal Communications of Japan. The aims of this project are to raise awareness of the social services that Posts already deliver, and to support further innovation and utilization of postal networks for advancing social goals.

A total of 113 UPU members responded to a survey on social services, issued in December 2019. Of these, 79% confirmed that they offer some type of social service, and 59% have plans to offer new social services in the future. Our members reported a wide variety of postal social services, which are summarized in the documents below.

The full UPU Guide to Postal Social Services can be downloaded here - Full Guide in English

The Executive Summary of the guide can be downloaded here - Executive Summary in multiple languages

If you have any questions about postal social services, please send an e-mail to: pss(at)upu.int

Research preview - Postal Social Services

11.11.2020

This booklet is a preview of some of the most important findings from recent IB research on postal social services. The full UPU Guide to Postal Social Services was subsequently published in April 2021.

English Spanish Portuguese Russe Arabic

Postal Hub Podcast interview: The Social Role of the Post

Union Postale cover story (p16): Postal Social Services during COVID-19

Automation at the core: GN TEQ and Saudi Post enhance e-commerce efficiency in Saudi Arabia

15.04.2025 — In today’s fast-paced world of e-commerce, speed and efficiency are crucial. For Saudi Post (SPL), delivering faster and more reliable services has become a priority. However, to truly meet the demands of a growing global market, SPL recognized the need for a major digital transformation. That’s where GN TEQ stepped in, partnering with SPL to provide innovative technology solutions that are revolutionizing logistics in Saudi Arabia.

Empowering women in the postal sector: UPU fellowship fuels leadership and innovation

04.04.2025 — On 4 November 2024, UPU kicked off the Council of Administration (CA) session at the UPU’s headquarters, in Berne, Switzerland. This year, with funding from its capacity building programme, the UPU granted fellowships to six women leaders in the postal sector to support their participation in the autumn meeting of the Union’s supervisory body. The six fellows represented Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago, Yemen, Malawi, Vanuatu, and Kyrgyzstan.

New Correos de México CEO targets postal modernization

02.04.2025 —

The Mexican Postal Service has a new leader. Violeta Abreu was appointed General Director of Correos de México by the first woman to serve as president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office on 1 October. Abreu, herself one of only a few women leading posts, discussed with the UPU her vision for continuing the transformational work of her predecessor, Rocío Bárcena, to modernize the post and to diversify its offerings so that the Mexican Postal Service may become a leader in logistics and e-commerce for the nation and beyond.

Posts: a national asset in need of transformation

27.03.2025 — My journey with the postal world began when I was about six years old. I vividly remember accompanying my father to the local post office, where he would unlock a small box – one among many embedded in the wall. Sometimes, there were envelopes waiting inside, which felt almost magical; other times, the box was empty, and that was far less exciting.

Post4Health: transforming healthcare logistics in Botswana

25.03.2025 — Botswana has taken a significant step forward in enhancing healthcare accessibility through the successful implementation of the UPU Post4Health initiative. This transformative project aims to strengthen the country’s healthcare logistics network, particularly in remote and underserved areas.

Poste Italiane’s Polis project aims to achieve digital inclusion for all

27.03.2023 — Poste Italiane’s new Polis project, whose proposing party is the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, was officially launched earlier this year. It aims to improve digital inclusion for around 16 million citizens across Italy to ensure “no one gets left behind,” as the country continues to accelerate its digital transformation.

La Poste strengthens its commitment to combatting violence against women

20.12.2022 — French postal operator La Poste Groupe has reaffirmed its commitment to fighting violence against women by strengthening its partnership with France’s National Federation of Women’s Rights Information Centers – FNCIDFF, Fédération Nationale des Centres d'Information sur les Droits des Femmes et des Familles – and joining the One In Three Women campaign – the first European network of companies dedicated to detecting and preventing violence.

Youth invited to advance sustainability and digitalization with Correos

27.09.2022 — In a special three-day programme, students from around Madrid saw their understanding of Spain’s postal operations broadened, their critical thinking and teamwork skills stretched, and their creativity showcased during Correos’ participation in the 4th ESO + Business Programme.

Correos Market, The market place for Spanish businesses

27.05.2022 — Correos Market was launched in 2019 as part of Correos’ commitment to tackle the Spanish demographic challenge in rural areas – a key aspect of the company’s corporate social responsibility policy.

Japan provides UPU 2 million USD to support sustainable development, pledges funds for Ukraine

04.05.2022 — Japan’s Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications has announced the government’s voluntary contribution of 260,597,000 Japanese Yen (2 million USD) to UPU projects on disaster risk management, digital transformation, e-commerce and other initiatives supporting sustainable development objectives.

The Postal Social Services Project

Media

News