event

SIDS Postal Leaders Forum 2025

 

Theme: Postal digitalization, integration and innovation: sustainable growth boosters for SIDS

Overall moderator: 

  • Mr Carey Brown, Deputy Postmaster General, Jamaica Post

Jul
15

Tuesday, 15 July to Thursday, 17 July 2025
Kingston, Jamaica

Programme
 

Day 1: 15 July 2025

8.00–9.00: Registration

9.00–9.30: Official opening ceremony

9.30–10.00: UPU interventions for SIDS - achievements during the Abidjan cycle

  • Mr Mutua Muthusi, Director of Development and Cooperation, UPU International Bureau

10.00–10.30: Tea/coffee break

10.30–13.00: Open dialogue
Postal development in SIDS during the Abidjan cycle: progress, success stories and lessons learned since Mahé (Seychelles)

This session will review overall progress in postal development and UPU activities for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) during the Abidjan cycle, showcasing success stories and national achievements since the first forum, held in Mahé. Selected countries will share practical examples of reforms, innovations and results that have strengthened their postal sector, followed by an interactive discussion on lessons learned and future prospects.

Moderator:

  • Mr Mutua Muthusi, Director of Development and Cooperation, UPU International Bureau


Speakers:

  • Ms Mariella Buisson, Chief Executive Officer, Seychelles Postal Services

  • Mr Lincoln Allen, Postmaster General, Chief Executive Officer Jamaica Post

  • Ms Selane Faila Ofati, General Manager, Tuvalu Post

  • ​Ms Lotomo'ua Faleafa Tu'ungafasi, Chief Executive Officer, Tonga Post

  • ​Ms Angela Johnson, Postmaster General, Dominica Postal Service
​13:00–14:00: Lunch break

14:00–16:00:
Panel 1 – Modernizing the postal supply chain in SIDS: integration, security and flexibility

SIDS face unique geographic and economic challenges that significantly impact the efficiency and reliability of their postal networks.

This panel will explore strategies to modernize the postal supply chain in SIDS, focusing on greater integration, enhanced security and efficient last-mile delivery. Participants will share experiences and examine recent developments and trends in the regulatory environment affecting the global supply chain in general, and SIDS in particular. The panel will also discuss practical approaches to building operational resilience and digital initiatives, strengthening the cross-border postal network to comply with global standards, and addressing logistical challenges specific to island contexts, with the objective of enhancing supply chain efficiency.
 
Keynote speaker:
  • Mr Ján Bojnanský, Postal Supply Chain Coordinator, UPU International Bureau
Moderator:
  • Mr Prannoy Sharma, Senior Expert and Advisor, Supply Chain, UPU International Bureau
Speakers:

  • Mr George Alexis, Managing Director, Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation

  • Dr Jayraj Itoo, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mauritius Post

  • Ms Radhika Karunaratne, Deputy Chair of the Board, Post Fiji

  • Mr Cecil Benjamin, Barbados Postal Servic

  • ​Ms Lotomoua Tuungafasi, Chief Executive Officer, Tonga Post

16:00–17:00: Presentations by the UPU Consultative Committee
​
Day 2 – 16 July 2025

09:00–11:00:
Panel 2 – The importance of formal agree­ments with airlines and shipping companies for efficient carriage of items in SIDS

Limited air and maritime transport options, high operational costs and dependency on third-party carriers often disrupt timely mail delivery and parcel logistics. In this context, establishing formal agreements with airlines and shipping companies is not just benefi­cial, but essential. This panel will highlight the critical role of formal and facilitative agreements, electronic data interchange (EDI) exchange and interactive communica­tion mechanisms with airlines and shipping companies in ensuring reliable, timely and cost-effective carriage of postal items in SIDS.

The panellists will explore how strategic partnerships can improve transport reliabil­ity, reduce delays and foster cost-effective solutions tailored to the realities of SIDS. The discussion will also highlight innovative practices and actionable strategies that can be replicated or adapted across similar con­texts. The UPU encourages a collaborative approach to addressing connectivity chal­lenges and enhancing the quality of postal services, thereby supporting the social and economic development of SIDS through resilient and modernized logistics chains.

Keynote speaker:

  • Mr Prannoy Sharma, Senior Expert and Advisor, Supply Chain, UPU International Bureau

Moderator:

  • Mr Marjan Osvald, Deputy Director General, UPU International Bureau

Speakers:

  • Representative of InterCaribbean Airways

  • Ms Martha Ramos, Managing Director, APG Global

  • ​Mr Mikaele Mikaele, Chief Executive Officer, Samoa Post

  • Representative of a shipping company (Jamaica) (TBC)

​11:00–11:15: Tea/coffee break

11:15–13:00:
Panel 3 – Postal technology solutions for customer engagement and digital services

This panel will focus on how postal opera­tors in SIDS can leverage technology to enhance customer engagement and deliver inclusive digital services, specifically explor­ing practical solutions for digital transfor­mation, e-service integration and the har­nessing of postal networks to bridge the dig­ital divide in remote and underserved com­munities.

Keynote speaker:
  • Mr Lati Matata, Director of the Postal Technology Centre, UPU International Bureau
Moderator:
  • Mr Pooran Parampath, Caribbean and Capacity Development Expert, UPU International Bureau
Speakers:

  • Ms Monique Antoinette Burrows, Executive Officer, Bahamas Postal Service

  • Ms Melissa Martinez-Ebanks, Acting Postmaster General, Cayman Islands Postal Services

  • Mr Luis Yangali, Sales Vice President for the Caribbean, Latin America and Spain, Escher Group

  • Mr Randal Robinson, Director of Post, Grenada Postal Corporation

  • Ms Lindalva Isabel Natividade Nunes De Orleans, Manager Department of Commercial Services, Correios de Timors-Leste

13:00–14:00: Lunch break

14:00–15:30:
Panel 4 – Driving volume growth and market relevance: reinventing physical services in SIDS

This session will explore how postal operators in SIDS can respond to declining letter volumes by developing business strategies to revitalise physical postal services, including parcels, EMS, direct mail and logistics. The focus will be on targeted market development, product adaptation, commercial partnerships and service innovation. Emphasis will also be placed on customer-driven approaches, effective marketing, and data-informed decision-making to drive relevance and sustainable growth.

Moderator:

  • Mr Alexander Thern-Svanberg, UPU Consultative Committee


Speakers:

  • Mr Jervhes Josephia, Chief Executive Officer, Cpost International (Curaçao)

  • Mr Toralf Schneider, Board Member of Logistic-natives e.V.

  • Mr Walter Trezek, UPU Consultative Committee Chair

  • Ms Martha Ramos, Managing Director, APG Global

  • ​Ms Mariella Buisson, Chief Executive Officer, Seychelles Postal Services


Presentation – UPU mandatory minimum security standards and the importance of implementation throughout the postal supply chain

This presentation will provide an overview of the UPU’s mandatory minimum security standards, emphasizing their importance for the integrity of the global postal supply chain. It will also highlight key requirements, the benefits of implementation, and the responsibilities of designated operators in ensuring secure, compliant, and trusted postal operations.

Speaker:

  • Ms Dawn Wilkes, Postal Security Programme Manager, UPU International Bureau (remotely)


16:00–16:15: Tea/coffee break

16:15–17:00: Networking and bilateral discussions

Day 3 – 17 July 2025

09:00–11:00:
Panel 5 –Building resilient postal systems in response to external shocks

This panel will examine how the postal operators of SIDS can build resilience to external shocks, including natural disasters, pandemics and economic disruptions. The panellists will share best practices and policy approaches to enhance preparedness, business continuity and recovery strategies, with emphasis on risk management and institutional adaptation.

Keynote speaker:

  • Ms Fumiko Nohara, Emergencies and Postal Resilience Expert, UPU International Bureau

Moderator:

  • Dr Sifundo Chief Moyo, Secretary General, Pan African Postal Union

Speakers:

  • Ms Marsha Tanecia Price, Postmaster General, Belize Postal Service

  • Mr Raffique Samuel, International Postal Affairs and Quality of Service, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Postal Corporation

  • Mr Jean Serge Andrianasolo Rija, Acting Director General, Paositra Malagasy (Madagascar)

  • Mr Thoriq Jalal, General Manager, Maldives Post

  • Ms Andromeda Amram, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Nauru Post
11:00–11:15: Tea/coffee break 

11:15–13:00:
Panel 6 – Regional cooperation, strategic partnerships and resource mobilization for sustainable postal development in SIDS

This panel will examine concrete mechanisms for regional cooperation and strategic partnerships that can support sustainable postal development in SIDS, focusing on mobilising technical and financial resources. It will also explore available funding opportunities (e.g. South–South cooperation, donors, multilateral initiatives) and how to access them.

​Keynote speaker:

  • Mr Mutua Muthusi, Director of Development and Cooperation, UPU International Bureau

Moderator:
  • Mr Samuel Brangman, Secretary General, Caribbean Postal Union
Speakers:

  • Dr Sifundo Chief Moyo, Secretary General, Pan African Postal Union

  • Mr Isidoro Mendes Gomes, Chief Executive Officer, Correios de Cabo Verde

  • ​Dr Jayraj Itoo, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mauritius Post

  • Mr Vira Tamata Timbaci, Chief Executive Officer, Vanuatu Post Ltd

  • ​Mr Joshua Vernor, Postmaster General, Saint Lucia Postal Services

​
13:00–14:00: Lunch break

14:00–15:00: Recommendations and key takeaways

Moderator:

  • Mr Mutua Muthusi, Director of Development and Cooperation, UPU International Bureau

15:00–16:00: Closing
 

  • Kingston action plan (declaration)