Statement by UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, 19 June 2017
Addressing the following high level participants:Mr. Jacques BILLANT, Préfet of Guadeloupe (the Préfet is the local representative of the State)
Mr. Ary CHALUS, President of the regional council of Guadeloupe
(the regional council is one of the two local representative chambers)
Mr. Wayne SMITH, Secretary General of the Caribbean Postal Union
Ms. Béatrice ROUX, Director of International Affairs, Groupe La Poste
Ms. Pascale SCOARNEC, Executive Director for Overseas Territories, Groupe La Poste
Ministers of postal affairs
Delegates from member countries
Thanking the post masters general who remain committed to the development of the postal sector in the region.
Istanbul World Postal Strategy, main outcomes:
- Anticipating changing customer needs
- Need for information and expertise on the postal sector
- Growth of e-commerce and international trade
- Addressing and accessibility
- Greater need for interoperability and international standards
- Economic growth and trade
- Modern product portfolio and integrated remuneration.
Postal sector faces many challenges: technology development, economic crisis and changes in the communications sector.
The postal sector is a key actor to deliver sustainable communications services for all, promote economic and social development, to facilitate trade among the MSMEs, and enhance inclusion to support the Sustainable Developing Goals.
The post must evolve and adapt themselves to keep up with the sector changes and customer needs and be able to remain relevant. Changes in the postal sector must be supported by enabling regulation.
DCDEV activities for 2017-2020:
During the strategy conference in Tortola, British Virgin Island in 2015, the region identified e-commerce as the priority area for the region.
The region must now act to upgrade their logistics capacity to be able to successfully participate in this new online market.
DCDEV will assist and has launched the Operational Readiness for E-commerce Project. The first workshop will be held in July this year and will be funded by DCDEV.
DCDEV will also launch the 2nd level projects in: 1) Postal Financial Services, 2) Postal Reform, and 3) Diversification.
A special national project for Haiti is also being launched to cater for this country’s special needs and circumstances.
The training centre in Barbados, which was developed by joint UPU-CPU efforts, will also continue to be supported by DCDEV through provision of
expert missions, training materials and development of its curriculum. Since its inception, over 275 postal staff of the region has been trained directly.
Terminal dues workshop: in response to the need for knowledge transfer in the remuneration systems, the UPU will organize a workshop in 2017 to address terminal dues,
UPU regulations and other operational matters.
CPU Conference 2017 main themes:
- Renaissance of the post in terms of diversification of products and services; trade facilitation through the post
- Lessons learned from the past
- Transitioning to IPS
- USO and sector policy