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.

As the starting point for the regionalization of the UPU technical assistance programme, the Regional development plans (RDPs), introduced by the IB, are based on two fundamental principles:

1. The integration of all IB cooperation activities building on the role of the Development and Cooperation Directorate (DCDEV) as a “single window” interface between the various IB directorates and the countries in need of assistance, resulting in the harmonization of activities conducted in the field by the DCDEV regional programmes, implemented by the regional field experts (RFEs) in cooperation with other players, including Restricted unions (RUs) and consultants; and
2. A regional approach designed to respond to each region’s specific needs by creating synergies with players at the regional level and strengthening and diversifying cooperation mechanisms in the field (partnerships with RUs, regional training centres, economic organizations, etc).

Methodology 

The methodology for the formulation of the RDPs for 2026–2029 aims to promote a shared vision of the deployment of UPU technical assistance activities, and to reinforce close relations with the RUs, international organizations and the various postal sector stakeholders. The RDPs also map regional priorities as defined by postal leaders, authorities and development partners to create synergies with the global postal vision.

 The regional priorities contained in each RDP are then translated into regional thematic projects that should not only lead to effective coordination between development cooperation activities and the actions launched under other funding sources, but also enable each region to benefit from targeted assistance and increased, more active involvement of the RUs.

RDP stakeholders

The RDP is the reference system that groups together all the development activities to be carried out in favour of the countries of each region by the various players, both within the IB and at regional level. It is a common platform for all cooperation players, enabling them to pursue the same objectives and share the same priorities while avoiding duplication of effort as regards both the allocation of resources and the deployment of activities.