Asia-Pacific

The region comprises the countries of Asia and The Pacific. The Development Cooperation implemented in the region is managed by a regional team at UPU IB headquarters and three regional offices located in Bangkok (Thailand), New Delhi (India) and Suva (Fiji).

In the first three years of this cycle, all activities were fully achieved as planned. A total of 140 activities from 35 development and cooperation projects were carried out. These activities included consultancy missions, training workshops, equipment procurement, and individual training activities related to the ORE project, the LDC action plan, postal financial services, and e-services and diversification. To date, the execution rate at the midpoint of the cycle is 76.4%. During this same period, all project performance indicators were satisfactorily achieved, in accordance with the established objectives.

As part of the ORE project, 11 on-site missions, seven group training workshops, and individual training sessions were organized in 2017–2019. A total of 27 DOs are in the process of making changes and improvements to their processes in order to optimize their e-commerce activities. The 27 DOs participating in the project all have a roadmap and a detailed action plan in place setting out the agreed-upon goals and the steps to follow to reach them by the end of 2020. It should be noted that several activities in the region within this project have been carried out in close cooperation with the Asian-Pacific Postal Union.

Two training workshops on postal financial services and one on e-services and diversification were conducted. Under the LDC action plan for 11 LDCs, procurement and individual training was offered at the Asian-Pacific Postal College.

During the 2017–2019, some 491 postal officials from DOs of the region were trained at various thematic regional workshops organized within the framework of the RDP, with the participation of over 300 UPU fellowship-holders.

Regional projects are proceeding as scheduled and in accordance with the indicators established for each area. However, communication difficulties with countries, a low response rate, and the delayed reactions of beneficiary countries continue to be major obstacles to the effectiveness of technical assistance in the region and negatively affect the impact of regional activities.

As the starting point for the regionalization of the UPU technical assistance programme, the Regional development plans (RDPs), introduced by the IB, are based on two fundamental principles:

1. The integration of all IB cooperation activities building on the role of the Development and Cooperation Directorate (DCDEV) as a “single window” interface between the various IB directorates and the countries in need of assistance, resulting in the harmonization of activities conducted in the field by the DCDEV regional programmes, implemented by the regional field experts (RFEs) in cooperation with other players, including Restricted unions (RUs) and consultants; and
2. A regional approach designed to respond to each region’s specific needs by creating synergies with players at the regional level and strengthening and diversifying cooperation mechanisms in the field (partnerships with RUs, regional training centres, economic organizations, etc).

Methodology 

The methodology for the formulation of the RDPs for 2026–2029 aims to promote a shared vision of the deployment of UPU technical assistance activities, and to reinforce close relations with the RUs, international organizations and the various postal sector stakeholders. The RDPs also map regional priorities as defined by postal leaders, authorities and development partners to create synergies with the global postal vision.

The regional priorities contained in each RDP are then translated into regional thematic projects that should not only lead to effective coordination between development cooperation activities and the actions launched under other funding sources, but also enable each region to benefit from targeted assistance and increased, more active involvement of the RUs.

RDP stakeholders

The RDP is the reference system that groups together all the development activities to be carried out in favour of the countries of each region by the various players, both within the IB and at regional level. It is a common platform for all cooperation players, enabling them to pursue the same objectives and share the same priorities while avoiding duplication of effort as regards both the allocation of resources and the deployment of activities.