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As the Universal Postal Union (UPU) begins its 2026-2029 Dubai cycle, the new Management Committee of the Consultative Committee (CC MC) is positioning itself as a central platform for strengthening dialogue and collaboration across the global postal ecosystem.
Version française à venirBuilding on the CC’s formal integration into UPU governance, the MC aims to translate the committee’s expanded mandate into practical contributions to policy development, standardization and operational initiatives.
The Consultative Committee, established during the Beijing Congress in 1999, witnessed its first major shift in 2022 with the formal incorporation of individual private-sector stakeholders into the UPU’s institutional framework. Its purpose is to represent the interests of the wider international postal sector and to provide a structured channel for engagement between designated operators (DOs), wider postal sector players (WPSPs) and UPU governing bodies, while fostering partnerships and ensuring that private-sector expertise informs the UPU’s work.
With the Dubai Congress confirming a stronger role for the CC, the 2026–2029 cycle marks a shift from institutional establishment to operational maturity. “As we enter the Dubai Cycle, our New Year’s resolution is clear: to move decisively from vision to practical implementation, building on the strong foundation set in the Abidjan Cycle,” says Walter Trezek, Chair of the UPU Consultative Committee. “The mandate entrusted to us remains unchanged – our priorities are steadfast, and the time for action is now.”
Trezek is supported in his work by Tawnee Steinke, Vice-Chair of the UPU Consultative Committee and representative for BoxC, as well as a seven-member Management Committee drawn from the private sector.
Steinke emphasizes that the CC’s transition to operational maturity must be closely aligned with market realities, particularly in fast-growing segments, such as cross-border e-commerce. Steinke says, “The growth of cross-border e-commerce requires closer coordination between policy development and operational execution. The Consultative Committee’s role is to ensure that private-sector expertise strengthens implementation, supports interoperability and enables designated operators to scale compliant and sustainable commercial services.”
Integrating a broader postal reality
A central priority for the MC is embedding the Consultative Committee more deeply into the UPU’s day-to-day work, reflecting the evolving structure of the global postal market. “In 2026, we resolve to fully embrace the UPU’s evolution as an intergovernmental organization that now recognizes the collaborative role of both DOs and WPSPs,” Trezek adds. “Our focus in 2026 is to integrate this new reality into our everyday work, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.”
The CC’s activities are structured around seven thematic chapters: policy and regulations; addressing and direct marketing; freight and transport; customs and product security; e-commerce; postal financial services; and sustainability. Each chapter is represented by a rapporteur responsible for presenting positions and expertise to relevant Council of Administration (CA) and Postal Operations Council (POC) bodies.
According to Trezek, these chapters are expected to play a more proactive role during the Dubai cycle. “We commit to reorganizing our thematic chapters, so they become engines of innovation and expertise, not merely reactive bodies,” he explains. “Our aim is to proactively inject the market intelligence, innovation, and operational know-how of CC members into UPU policy and standardization debates.”
Cross border e-commerce
For MC members, the thematic structure anchors dialogue between the private sector and UPU governing bodies in operational realities. MC member Ignacio Mayer, Senior Manager of New Business Development EMEA at MailAmericas, highlights e-commerce as a defining challenge for the coming cycle.
“My primary priority is the integration of private-sector agility into the global postal network to meet the demands of the exponential growth in cross-border e-commerce,” he says, noting that the market is projected to reach US$1,000.3bn by 2034. “We must move from a 30-40-day delivery standard to a 15-day maximum standard in emerging markets.”
Mayer describes the CC’s thematic structure as “a bridge between regulatory frameworks and operational reality,” enabling data-driven discussion of unit economics and cost structures, while supporting “hyper-collaboration,” particularly in regions such as Africa.
Standards and interoperability
From a standardization perspective, MC member Heinz D Graf, Senior Standards Expert at GS1, emphasizes interoperability and shared processes. “Logistics throughout the entire value chain can no longer be handled by a single provider – partners who work together are always needed,” he says.
“With over 50 years of experience in standardization… we at GS1 see great potential for increasing efficiency and reducing costs for the UPU as a whole,” Graf continues. “This will increase competitiveness.”
Graf highlights the value of joint initiatives such as the Postal Prosperity Zones (PPZs) and the role of standardized interfaces in enabling DOs to maintain their last-mile service. “The knowledge of the private sector is indispensable for the wellbeing of the UPU,” he adds.
Project facilitation
The CC’s expanded mandate also enables more active involvement in joint projects. MC member Lars Karlsson, Global Head of Trade and Customs Consulting at A.P. Møller-Mærsk, describes this as a strategic opportunity.
“The CC’s key priorities should focus on shaping strategic innovative joint solutions for a changing trade environment,” Karlsson says. “UPU should see it as an opportunity to co-design, co-create and jointly test new processes together with CC under the agreed framework and mandate.”
He highlights e-commerce transformation, data exchange, containerization and PPZs as priority areas, while stressing the importance of focus and structure. “It is important that the overall strategy of the CC… is guiding the focus work of the thematic chapters so the work delivers concrete outcomes,” he adds.
Addressing structural challenges
MC member Dame Damevski, Director of International Markets at e-Boks Group, points to structural challenges, including declining letter volumes and the lack of a public-interest framework for digital communication.
“For decades, physical mail has operated under clear principles of universality, confidentiality and legal certainty. Digital communication has become the primary channel for official and societal interaction, yet it remains largely outside comparable frameworks. This asymmetry represents a significant public policy gap. It also raises a fundamental question about how the historic communication mandate of the postal sector can evolve to remain relevant in the digital domain,” he says.
He also warns of a widening capability gap among designated operators. “The CC is uniquely positioned to engage with both challenges because it brings together expertise across technology, operations, regulation and market practice.
“Over the coming cycle, practical collaboration should focus on three areas: earlier involvement of CC expertise in policy and standards development, more joint pilots aligned with UPU programmes, and clearer pathways for private-sector input into development cooperation and technical assistance, including the development of shared technological infrastructure to support implementation at scale,” Damevski continues.
Delivering value through collaboration
Across the MC, there is a shared emphasis on delivery and measurable impact. “This year, we will harness our greatest asset – our members,” Trezek says. “The Consultative Committee will establish professional, structured frameworks for matchmaking, partnership forums and collaborative projects.”
He also highlights the adoption of a Code of Conduct as a priority. “Our guiding principle is simple: every action we take must strengthen the open UPU ecosystem and deliver concrete, practical benefits for our members,” he adds.
Concluding, Trezek says, “We pledge to maintain open and transparent dialogue as we bring this agenda to life. Let’s make 2026 the year we truly build, collaborate and deliver – turning our collective vision into measurable success for the UPU and its members.”
This article first appeared in Union Postale Winter 2025/2026.