Consultative Committee

Postal stakeholders that are not public postal operators or regulators can add their voice to the UPU's deliberations through the Consultative Committee (CC). The Committee represents the interests of the wider postal sector and provides a framework for effective dialogue

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The Chair of the UPU Consultative Committee (CC), Mr Walter Trezek, is pleased to announce that the Council of Administration has approved the application of logistic-natives e.V. (logistic-natives.com) to become a member of the UPU CC.

The logistic-natives e.V. is an international logistics infrastructure network for modern commerce, whose members are predominantly German SMEs. As an association, logistic-natives e.V actively represents the economic and legal interests of over 30,000 companies in the industry.

Its primary aim is to empower its members to benefit from increasingly digitalized business processes and to apply digital communications media in delivery workflows for digital commerce to optimize delivery, sustainability, life cycle management, circular logistics and returns management.

As a rich source of practical expertise, the network is the first point of contact for representatives from politics, administration, business and other institutions wishing to create national and international solutions for tomorrow’s commerce.

The logistics-natives e.V. sees itself as a cross-sectional association for various branches of industries, making it relevant to all stakeholders involved in commerce.

Florian Seikel, Managing Director

For more information, please contact the CC Secretariat by e-mail at alexander.thern-svanberg@upu.int 

The Consultative Committee (CC) meets once a year at the UPU headquarters in Berne at the same time as the Postal Operations Council (POC) meetings.

The next CC Management Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for POC S2, which will be held during the week of 17 to 21 October 2022. The exact date will be communicated later.

The next CC General Assembly is tentatively scheduled to take place during POC S3 in April 2023. The exact date will be communicated later.

If you have any questions, please contact the CC Secretariat at alexander.thern-svanberg@upu.int.

The Consultative Committee is holding a series of three one-hour webinars dedicated to the disrupted market environment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic: accelerated digitalization of communications and commerce, leading to changes in e commerce logistics; changing consumer behaviors; and what citizens should expect from the universal service obligation in their respective countries.

Watch webinar 1:  In this recorded version of the Trilogy Webinar 1, you will be hearing a presentation by the Secretary General of Ecommerce Europe based on a recent survey. The survey was carried out in the context of the second lockdown at the end of 2020, focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the e-commerce sector in Europe. The survey highlights the current situation in different European countries. A discussion then follows on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on e-commerce globally from an air cargo perspective, as well as the impact on the worldwide postal network as retailers navigate operational and supply chain disruptions, while new reverse logistics challenges emerge, and traditional pain points intensify from a consumer perspective.

Speakers:

Luca Cassetti, Secretary General of Ecommerce Europe

Glyn Hughes, Director General of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA)

Noor Adan, Coordinator of Supply Chain Management, Postal Operations Directorate, UPU International Bureau

Eddy Richauvet, CEO of ShopRunBack.com

Moderator: Walter Trezek, Chair, Consultative Committtee

Watch webinar 2: In this recorded version of the Trilogy Webinar 2, you will be hearing a presentation by the Chief of the ICT Policy Section at UNCTAD based on a recent UNCTAD report titled “COVID-19 and e‑commerce: a global review”. The aim of this UNCTAD report was to jointly assess how the impact of the pandemic was playing out in various regions of the world, what barriers countries and business were facing when trying to leverage digital solutions, what policy responses had been taken, and – not least important – what could be done better to reap synergies and enhance global support to those countries that are the least equipped to manage digital transformation for dealing with the pandemic and beyond. The presentation is followed by a discussion focusing on the consumer perspective, questioning the safety of shopping online and of relying on the Internet more for news, health-related information and digital entertainment. World class expert analysis is given on the risks for consumers in all this. 

 Speakers:

Torbjörn Fredriksson, Chief of ICT Policy Section, UNCTAD, Geneva

Liz Coll, World Class Expert on consumer tech policy, data protection and online consumer protection

Ujjwal Kumar, Policy Analyst, CUTS International

Moderator: Walter Trezek, Chair, Consultative Committee 

Watch Webinar 3: In this recorded version of the Trilogy Webinar 3, you will be hearing a presentation by the Executive Director of the International Mailers Advisory Group partly based on a report of individual research by the USPS Office of Inspector General on the universal service obligation (USO). The presentation sheds light on how the USPS and other Posts that have modified their USO in the last five years have responded to the financial challenge of volume erosion. While there are important differences between the USPS and the Posts in other countries, a discussion then follows on trends in other countries and provides some insight into the potential future of the postal service’s USO.

Speakers

Kate Muth, Executive Director, International Mailers Advisory Group (USO resources)

Dimitris Theodorakis, Acting Head of UNI Post & Logistics – UNI Global Union 

Lindsay Welsh, International Relations and Policy Director at New Zealand Post

Emma Maraschin, Head of Section, PTS Unit for postal issues (Swedish regulator)

Moderator: Walter Trezek, Chair, Consultative Committee

The committee plays a key role in developing a more global vision of the issues affecting the sector. This role enhances the UPU's value to the industry and its effectiveness.

As of 1st July 2022, the Consultative Committee (CC) will consist of non-governmental organizations (including organizations representing customers, delivery service providers, postal employees or postal employers); philanthropic entities; standardization, financial and development organizations; suppliers of goods and services to the postal services sector; transportation entities and other private sector entities; and like organizations of individuals and companies which have an interest in supporting the mission and objectives of the Union.