Following on from a successful mission to Fiji, the Director General of the Universal Postal Union, Bishar A. Hussein, met with the President of Vanuatu, Pastor Obed Moses Tallis, on 22 June.
During their meeting in Port Vila, the capital and commercial centre of Vanuatu, President Tallis offered his island nation’s full support for the reform of UPU and agreed to send a high-level representative to the UN postal agency’s Extraordinary Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 3-7 September.
President Tallis called upon the UPU membership to encourage the participation of small island nations in the discussions of the organization. He said many of the small islands are unable to regularly pay their membership contributions, which they find beyond their reach. He requested the DG explore ways of addressing the matter during the discussion on the review of UPU’s contribution scheme proposal at the Congress.
The president also called on the need for UPU to support the Small islands deal with challenges in such areas as natural disasters, transportation, communication, and energy.
The DG thanked the president and his government for the huge support they were giving the post in the country. He also welcomed Vanuatu’s participation at the UPU’s Extraordinary Congress.
“It is important for your country and the Pacific Islands, in general, to be represented at the Congress, where they will be able to articulate to members the problems facing them,” Mr. Hussein said.
The Extraordinary Congress in Ethiopia in September will discuss, among other issues, the implementation of UPU’s Integrated Product Plan and Integrated Remuneration Plan, UPU Reform, sustainability of UPU’s Provident Scheme, and Reform of UPU’s Contribution System. A Ministerial Strategy Conference will also take place during the Congress.