Statement of the UPU Deputy Director General Pascal Clivaz at the closing ceremony of the Ministerial Conference 2021

Statement of the UPU Deputy Director General Pascal Clivaz at the closing ceremony of the Ministerial Conference 2021, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

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Your Excellencies, the Prime Ministers of Côte d’Ivoire and Mali,
His Excellency Minister R. Adom,
Excellencies present today, physically and virtually,
Heads of international organizations,
Distinguished delegates present here at Congress,
Friends and Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many trends that have been brewing for years, including the twin challenges of digitalization and interconnectivity.
 
Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digitalization as many customers were forced to substitute physical purchases with online ones.
 
Many of the changes related to consumer behaviour appear to be permanent. As a result, we can expect today’s trend in consumption patterns to continue. This has very strong implications for the postal services.
 
As this new form of consumption continues to spread, citizens are demanding more and more from their postal services. Citizens, for example, expect faster deliveries, but also the easy return of goods.
 
There has also been a switch from letters to parcels and light logistics. Letter-post continues to plummet and the trend will only continue in the future. This means postal operators need to keep an eye on this transition in order to retain their relevance. Postal sector boundaries have also been blurred.
 
Today, at the conference, ministers and heads of international organizations have indicated what different postal sector stakeholders should do.
 
Governments are learning how to make better use of the postal network. Every citizen should not only receive its letters, but also every item sent. Such an approach is a necessity when they live in remote areas or part of fragile populations.
 
Concerning regulators, COVID-19 has shown the importance of good regulatory practices in order to avoid having citizens accessing the “black market” of unlicensed operators, which aims to take advantage of the growing demand for delivery of parcels. There is also a need to stop illicit trade, which can only be done through more data collection, and more “smart” inspections at borders.
 
To sum up, regulators need to examine the best regulatory means of improving efficiency of the services without threatening the existence of these services.
 
Regarding Operators, these should keep modernizing and use the latest technologies and standards to meet the goals of their government’s digital strategy.
 
The other postal sector market players also have a role, but must respect the rules set by regulators and operate in full transparency, whether as e-retailers or courier operators. The strong cooperation with customs in this ecosystem must also continue.
 
And what of the UPU? I believe today, the UPU’s role has been confirmed, as a: Forum.
 
The pandemic has shown the need for a concerted response. As witnessed today, and over the past year, the UPU was once again the place to discuss all issues around the postal supply chain. Through its collaboration with other UN agencies-WCO, WTO, OTIF, the UPU has also provided multilateral solutions to global problems.
 
UPU is also a provider of technical solutions. Electronic advance data, tracking systems are actively being used as tools to fight the pandemic.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
Let me also finish by pointing out another role for the UPU. We are also a thriving knowledge center. In essence, the ministers today have confirmed the relevance of the Abidjan Postal Strategy that is being submitted to this Congress for approval.
 
Thank you for attending this fascinating meeting and adding your voices to the discussion about the international postal sector.
 
Thank you.