Berne – Some 1,000 participants are expected to attend the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) Second Extraordinary Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, starting on Monday 3 September.
The Congress opens with a high-level ceremony attended by the President of Ethiopia Mulatu Teshome, the Ethiopian Minister of Communication and Information Technology Ubah Mohamed Hussien, the Director General of UPU Bishar A. Hussein, and the Deputy Director General of UPU Pascal Clivaz, among others.
Speaking ahead of the Congress, which runs from 3-7 September, Mr. Hussein said, “The goal of this Extraordinary Congress, only the second in UPU’s 144-year history, is to ensure that UPU is fit for the purpose of spurring sustained development across the international postal network.”
He stressed the Congress would unite the postal sector and was a starting point for ensuring close cooperation among postal operators, regulators, governments, civil society and other key stakeholders in a sector that employs globally over 5 million people. The alliance, Mr. Hussein said, was necessary to tackle the industry’s challenges, as well as seize new opportunities in the areas of digitalization, technology and e-commerce.
During the five-day Extraordinary Congress, generously hosted by the Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian Postal Service, UPU’s member countries will discuss UPU reform, including reform of the system applied to contributions by UPU member countries.
Member countries will also discuss an integrated product plan, as well an integrated remuneration plan, for the delivery of goods through the international postal network.
On the margins of the Congress, from 6-7 September, UPU will hold a Ministerial Strategy Conference titled, “Gearing up the postal sector to drive socio-economic development”. The conference is designed to encourage discussions on the best policies, investments, regulations and partnerships to unleash the Post’s service delivery and profitability potential.
An Extraordinary Congress may be convened at the request, or with the consent of at least two thirds of the member countries of the UPU. The first Extraordinary Congress was held in Berne, Switzerland, from 2 to 5 July 1900, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the organization.
The Universal Postal Union is a UN specialized agency with its headquarters in the Swiss capital Berne. Established in 1874, it is one of the world’s oldest international organizations and is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players.
Details of the Second Extraordinary Congress can be found here: http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/congress/about-congress.html
For further information, please contact:
David DadgeManager, Communication and Events ProgrammeUniversal Postal Union (UPU)Executive Office DirectorateT +41 31 350 31 23E david.dadge@upu.int