Monday, 8 September 2025 at 14.00
Your Excellencies,Honourable Ministers,
Distinguished Delegates,
It is my honour to welcome you all to the UPU Global Leaders’ Summit as part of the 28th Universal Postal Congress.
As we embark on a new strategic cycle from 2026, the thoughts and visions shared in this Summit are of immense importance to our sector and to the UPU as an institution.
I thank you all for your presence, interest and participation.
Over centuries, the postal sector has evolved to meet the changing needs of citizens, businesses and government. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of each and every one of you in this room we have stood resilient in the face of disruptive change, and we have worked as one to ensure that our Union remains relevant for the 21st century.
Today we are joined by not just by esteemed ministers, heads of regulators, and CEOs, but also by our industry partners and leaders of the wider global postal sector.
This is a testament to the fact that we are progressively broadening our engagement across sectors, institutions and geographies to meet the demands of our customers of today and tomorrow.
We must work together as one to provide value to citizens and businesses alike.
With digitization reshaping economies, and public expectations evolving rapidly, postal operators are under increasing pressure to modernize their role from service providers to central enablers of national development, digital inclusion, and cross-border commerce.
At its core, the Summit asks a fundamental question: what kind of postal ecosystem do we want to build for the next generation?
The answer lies not in technology alone, but in the choices governments, regulators and operators make about collaboration, competition, service models, and putting our citizens and customers at the heart of all that we do.
I encourage you to listen closely, speak candidly, and engage with one another, both in the formal sessions and in the conversations that take place outside this room.
I affirm my personal commitment to ensure that the UPU stands ready to support your efforts.
Let this Summit be a bold step forward.