The Universal Postal Union (UPU) needs to agree on vital reforms at its forthcoming Extraordinary Congress in September, according to top officials.
The Extraordinary Congress in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, from 3 – 7 September will be “a giant step forward” in a reform process that has gathered pace over the last few years, the world postal organisation stated.
Over five days the Congress will examine the present status of the World Postal Strategy, while also boldly looking ahead and discussing other urgent matters. An overriding Congress aim is to promote the role and relevance of the UPU as the cornerstone of postal regulation at the local, regional and international levels. The event will include a ministerial strategy conference.
To ensure UPU is fit-for-purpose, the Congress will discuss several key areas, including UPU reform. The goal is to increase the organization’s efficiency and increase the speed of decision-making processes so that UPU can effectively respond to the requests of member countries and designated operators.
Other improvements relate to reform of the contributions system, the sustainability of the organization’s provident scheme, and the implementation of the integrated product plan and its related remuneration structure.
If the reforms are endorsed at the Extraordinary Congress, they will help transform the UPU activities and give members an equitable opportunity to make informed decisions, the organisation emphasised.
The UPU’s repositioning will enable the organization “to use its expertise in technology, the strength of its treaties and its position within the United Nations system to support the postal sector. Reform represents a giant step towards achieving this objective”.
“As a UN agency and forum for 192 member countries, the UPU is the key player that can help our sector move ahead. But it can only do so if it is functioning to its highest potential,” said UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein at a recent regional conference on St. Lucia.
Deputy DG Pascal Clivaz wrote in an online post that September’s Extraordinary Congress offers an opportunity to fine-tune the organization, so it can continue to function as the cornerstone of the global postal industry. “Decisions taken at the Congress will strengthen the organization’s financial security, streamline some of our processes, as well as support the postal network in areas such as remuneration rates,” he said.
Highlighting the UPU’s key assets and benefits for members, Clivaz said: “First, in the area of international cooperation, our multilateral treaties are ensuring that the postal environment is geared for success. Second, our unswerving commitment to providing access to affordable postal technology empowers operators and enables them to be cost-effective and to work at the leading edge.
“Finally, our projects, aimed at the grassroots and regional levels, leverage e-commerce solutions, digitalization, financial inclusion and sustainable development to ensure postal operators contribute fully to their country’s economy.”
Siva Somasundram, UPU Director of Policy, Regulation and Markets Directorate, explained that the Extraordinary Congress was a necessary follow-up to the last regular four-yearly Congress in Istanbul (2016).
“When we met at the Istanbul Congress, there were a number of items on the agenda. Delegates talked about the UPU’s institutional reform, the Integrated Product Plan, the Integrated Remuneration Plan, the Pension Fund, and then, of course, the member countries’ contribution system.
“While member countries were able to take important decisions on some of these matters, they also acknowledged that some further work was still required and would help ensure the ongoing relevance and sustainability of the Union. As a result, they decided to have an Extraordinary Congress to review the outcome of that work and to take the necessary decisions.
“Therefore, the Ethiopian Extraordinary Congress is about completing the work that we started in the cycle leading to Istanbul, and, hopefully, about reaching a consensus among member countries on the outcomes of that work. Many of these issues cannot be postponed. They need to be dealt with because they are critical to UPU and its future.”
