The UPU’s draft strategy for the 2017-2020 period is almost ready to be presented to the UPU Congress for its final decision.
The draft Istanbul World Postal Strategy currently contains three goals: improve interoperability of infrastructure; ensure sustainable and modern products; and foster market and sector functioning.
Pending approval by member countries at Congress - the supreme decision-making authority of the UPU - the road map is designed to address critical issues facing the postal sector.
“There’s a real sense that Posts are going to have to move”, said Jim Paterson from South Africa, which chairs the UPU Strategy Committee. “There’s an opportunity there [for Posts], but they are going to have to modernize their services, develop their products and networks and, most importantly, respond to the customer,” he said.
“We have big networks but we need to utilize them effectively and deliver efficient, modern, innovative products that people want and need,” he added.
Paterson underlined that the UPU and its member countries are already working on solutions to current issues faced by the postal sector, with examples including customs facilitation, the introduction of financial services, and capacity-building in e-commerce.
“These are building blocks that can help build a universal postal network that is really relevant to the current global economy,” he said.
The draft strategy is based on discussions that saw the involvement of 89 per cent of the UPU’s 192 member countries, including a series of strategic conferences that took place last year.
Common top-level priorities that emerged from the seven regional conferences included e-commerce development and strengthening operational efficiency.
The draft strategy was discussed by the UPU’s Council of Administration in February and will now be fine-tuned prior to its presentation to Congress, which takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, from 20 September to 7 October.
Lessons learned
A number of important lessons have emerged from the implementation of the current world postal strategy, the Doha Postal Strategy, said Paterson.
A crucial lesson is that fundamental changes in the global economy are affecting the Post, namely “the rise of the digital world and increasing amounts of business being done online,” said Paterson. “The Post really has to adapt to this new environment.”
But that is not all, added Paterson. “We need to improve our products, be more efficient and more innovative. We need better integration of our networks,” he said.
Draft plan
To ensure that the Istanbul World Postal Strategy remains on track, it will be accompanied by a detailed draft business plan.
Each work proposal contains expected outcomes and benefits to member countries. Furthermore, the proposals include key performance indicators and the financial resources required for each working proposal.
A total of 15 UPU work programmes have been developed to implement the strategic goals. The plan would also allow the UPU to prioritize their activities if resources are lacking, based on the priorities set by Congress.
The CA, which oversees the UPU’s work between Congresses, is made up of 41 member countries. The body meets at least once a year at UPU headquarters in Bern. The last session of the CA preceding the Congress concluded on 25 February in Berne, Switzerland.