In an increasingly unpredictable world, the ability to maintain essential services during and after a crisis is the ultimate measure of an organization’s commitment to its customers and its nation.
For the postal sector, this commitment is solidified through rigorous preparation, with standards being championed by the UPU through disaster risk management (DRM) and pandemic recovery certification programmes. This initiative is not merely a formality; it is a statement of operational excellence and resilience. Cambodia Post’s recent achievement of the prestigious gold certificate serves as a powerful case study. It sets a new benchmark for postal operators worldwide and reinforces the crucial role played by the Post as a pillar of national stability.The UPU’s DRM certification emerged from a crucial understanding that, in the face of escalating climate volatility and the lingering operational lessons of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a “wait-and-see” approach to disasters is no longer tenable. The postal sector – often the last public utility standing and the first to resume service in remote areas – needed to shift its focus from post-disaster response to proactive business continuity.
This UPU framework, which began with the creation of the certification mechanism in October 2023, has bronze, silver and gold tiers, and is designed to guide postal operators through a rigorous transformation process. It mandates a comprehensive overhaul of organizational practices. These include critical vulnerability and risk assessments, development of business continuity plans, and implementation of robust communication and recovery protocols. Earning the gold standard signifies that an operator has achieved an elite level of preparedness. To date, only a select group of postal operators have achieved this status, including Bermuda, Cambodia, Lao People’s Dem. Rep. and Thailand.
Cambodia Post’s journey, which started in December 2024, was more than simply a compliance exercise; it was an in-depth multi-year strategic undertaking that culminated in the Post’s validation in June 2025. As noted by Sao Kaingmeng, Cambodia Post’s Country Project Manager, it required a fundamental shift from reactive crisis management to proactive business continuity planning, under the strategic leadership of the Post’s Director General, Then Samvisoth. Thus, the achievement reflects a strategic long-term commitment that transcends standard operational quality. This transformation hinges on specific systemic adjustments, including establishing alternative sites for critical operations such as mail sorting, formalizing resource allocation protocols for essential items (personal protective equipment, emergency fuel), and implementing succession planning with defined scopes of temporary responsibility for key management roles.
Beyond the intrinsic value of preparedness, DRM certification yields tangible operational and commercial dividends, fundamentally altering Cambodia Post’s position in the global logistics market. Global e-commerce giants and logistics firms are no longer just looking for speed; they demand certainty and security in their supply chains. The gold certificate is auditable proof of that certainty.
The impact of the transformation is clearest in the face of adversity. Kaingmeng shared that the DRM framework ensured continuous and reliable service during recent heavy rains that cut off road access. This resilience was quantified across several critical metrics, including the Post maintaining mail transportation between local post offices within a day for all categories. Furthermore, international reliability held strong, with outbound end-to-end times maintained at 7.6 days for EMS and 11.2 days for parcels. Data trust was upheld, as pre-advice data flow (customs data) compliance was sustained at a level greater than 95%.
“Our DRM status signals that we are a low-risk entry point into the south-east Asian market,” stated Kaingmeng.
“This reduced risk profile translates directly into leverage for securing better commercial agreements and positioning Cambodia Post as a resilient default channel for global e-commerce platforms seeking to de-risk their supply chains,” he added.
Emphasis on DRM has also driven infrastructure investment towards decentralized digital systems, notably the launch of a new website, a point-of-sale system and a mobile app for remote service execution. The Post is actively working on a systematic addressing database and GIS mapping system, which will allow for efficient routeing and delivery even when road access is restricted. This positions Cambodia Post as a vital piece of the nation’s critical infrastructure, driving alignment with the UPU’s Postal Vision 2030.
According to the UPU’s Emergencies and Postal Resilience Expert, Fumiko Nohara, the certification status is not permanent. It is valid for three years, after which the postal operator must reapply for reassessment and regrading. This is to ensure that compliance is not passive, but rather a cyclical and mandatory commitment to continuous improvement.
Nohara underscored that to demonstrate sustained DRM capability, the postal operator must prepare and annually update a business continuity plan; keep the emergency management team up-to-date and reachable through established communication channels; and maintain financial stability to ensure operational continuity in crises.
She added that close cooperation with national disaster authorities, local government and sector regulators is critical for embedding preparedness into public sector and community systems alike.
During Cambodia Post’s on-site evaluation in June 2025, the assessors observed effective coordination with the National Committee for Disaster Management, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Health. These partnerships have supported a nationwide digital inclusion plan and expanded access to essential postal services. Other practices, such as mobile post offices, Telegram-based emergency channels and Community Tech Centre post offices, were also highlighted as good practices in the assessment.
“Cyber resilience is an impending issue that we must mitigate,” Nohara noted.
The latest iteration of the UPU’s DRM framework introduces digital adaptation and cybersecurity as new strategic imperatives. She explained that disaster readiness increasingly depends on advanced AI-driven tools capable of anticipating and mitigating risks before disruption occurs.
To this end, the UPU is a partner in the Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions, a joint effort led with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The initiative promotes the use of artificial intelligence in early warning systems, predictive modelling and real-time coordination.
Sustaining gold certification: the continuous improvement mindset
A gold certificate is not the endpoint; it is the beginning of a relentless commitment to continuous improvement for Cambodia Post. The UPU supports this process through peer reviews, regional training and expert workshops.
Cambodia Post continues to institutionalize lessons learned, as well as formalizing written procedures for DRM activities, expanding staff training, updating plans on schedule, and allocating a dedicated emergency budget with clear approval channels. Its achievement provides a powerful roadmap for other countries in south-east Asia to turn crisis management into a driver of modernization and growth by translating global standards into rigorous local training, transparent digital operations and auditable commercial certainty.
This article first appeared in Union Postale Autumn 2025.