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

Beyond the mail: how PHLPost became a lifeline during typhoons Carina and Kristine

24.07.2025 — In the storm seasons of 2024, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) found itself on the frontlines of disaster relief: not with letters and parcels, but with food, shelter, and hope.

Post4Health: delivering healthcare

27.06.2025 — The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in healthcare logistics, including social isolation and vaccine accessibility gaps. Through the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Post4Health project, Posts extended their scope beyond mail delivery to bridge logistical gaps and improve healthcare accessibility for three billion people in remote areas. (Source: UPU – Post4Health))

Posti and Escher Group partnership

27.06.2025 — As digitalization progresses, almost every postal operator faces a shift in demand for its services: letter volumes are declining sharply, while parcel volumes are growing given the rising popularity of e‑commerce. For postal operators, this presents the dual challenge of remaining profitable despite falling letter volumes, while handling increasing parcel traffic efficiently. To maintain reliable and efficient delivery services in the face of these challenges, Posti, the Finnish postal operator, has partnered with the Escher Group, a UPU Consultative Committee member, to enhance its use of optical character recognition (OCR) and advance its automation processes.

WHO and UPU join forces to improve access to eyeglasses

16.05.2025 — The World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to expand access to eye care using postal networks. The collaboration aims to utilize the wide reach of postal services to deliver crucial eye care, including affordable near-vision glasses, to people in different parts of the world.

Partnership unites posts and libraries to bridge the digital divide

05.05.2025 —

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) are partnering to increase access to essential digital services and capacity building through the trusted, accessible global networks of post offices and libraries.

Bridging China’s logistics landscape: How China Post and Cainiao are reimagining “last-mile” rural delivery

28.04.2025 — In recent years, rural e-commerce in China has experienced rapid growth. According to the 2021 National County-Level Digital Agriculture and Rural E-Commerce Development Report released by the China International E-Commerce Network, the total online retail sales across 2,083 counties in China reached 3.53 trillion yuan in 2020, accounting for 30.0% of the country’s total online retail sales. However, the rural logistics ecosystem still faces significant challenges in meeting the growing demand for e-commerce. The logistics network is highly fragmented due to geographical factors, with inefficient sorting mechanisms and complex delivery processes, creating operational bottlenecks - especially in remote areas.

Beyon Connect and the Kingdom of Bahrain: exploring the future of digital identity for postal operators

24.04.2025 — Digital identity is rapidly becoming the backbone of secure and efficient digital transformation for postal services worldwide, enabling them to extend their reach far beyond traditional mail delivery and cater to the evolving needs of citizens and businesses.

Correos de Costa Rica launches cold chain transport of medicines

17.04.2025 — Costa Rica’s designated operator is diversifying its services offering, having launched a successful new pilot project in 2024 to deliver medicines in partnership with leading pharmaceutical providers in the country.

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.

The Postal Social Services Project

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