The Universal Postal Union, together with Giga and the DiploFoundation, held a dedicated event on 3 December at the Giga Connectivity Centre in Geneva to explore how existing infrastructures and anchor institutions can accelerate digital inclusion. The discussion coincided with the public launch of the fourth edition of the UPU’s flagship report, “The Postal Sector’s Role in the Digital Economy and Society – A Global Panorama”, which maps trends and opportunities across 153 designated postal operators worldwide.
Gathering around 60 participants from some 40 countries, including representatives of permanent missions, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector, the event highlighted how post offices, schools and libraries can work more closely together to expand meaningful connectivity and digital access. Speakers stressed that leveraging key infrastructures that are already in place offers governments a cost-effective, scalable path to inclusion, especially in hard-to-reach communities.Findings from the UPU’s new report show that designated postal operators are already significant contributors to digital participation: 71% offer e-commerce services; 58% provide digital financial services; and 51% support e-government services through multiple channels – often including assisted interactions by postal staff at digitally equipped post office counters. Many Posts also help reduce the connectivity gap directly through public Internet access points and the provision of digital equipment.
Giga, a joint ITU–UNICEF project, presented its work connecting schools to the Internet in partnership with national governments. By expanding connectivity to schools, Giga not only improves access to information and enriches learning opportunities, but also strengthens the wider digital ecosystem, often extending benefits to entire communities. Similarly to Posts, libraries – represented through insights from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) – are also playing a growing role as hubs for digital inclusion by offering Internet access and devices, digital skills training and support services to communities.
Despite these strong parallels, speakers noted that collaboration across these three networks – Posts, schools and libraries – remains largely untapped. The UPU has already signed a memorandum of understanding with IFLA and is finalizing another with Giga to promote more systematic cooperation and knowledge exchange.
A lively discussion followed the presentations. Representatives of several countries said that the digital services provided by their postal operators help their governments achieve public policy objectives. At the same time, many participants noted that they had not been fully aware of the breadth of digital services already delivered by the postal network. They requested more information on how the UPU could support their governments in better leveraging postal networks for digital inclusion – for example, through technical assistance or digital skills training for postal staff.
Participants also expressed interest in UPU guidance on introducing digital services through Posts, while the UPU’s Connect.Post team noted that it is already preparing to develop such guidance based on lessons learnt and good practices. In this regard, countries were encouraged to share their own experiences, which will be progressively integrated into Connect.Post’s Case Study Library to be launched next year – a living resource designed to inspire governments embarking on digital transformation journeys.
Overall, the discussion reinforced the importance of the UPU’s engagement with the international digital community based in Geneva, ensuring that the postal sector contributes actively to multilateral conversations on universal meaningful connectivity and digital transformation.