Postransfer Delivers Pep to Postal Remittances Poststempel Validieren Und Entwerten Im Postamt
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SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2015 / N°3 Regions shape strategy Drones take off ISSN 0041-7009 ISSN PosTransfer delivers pep to postal remittances Poststempel Validieren und Entwerten im Postamt Mail Daters For validation or cancelling in the post office Dateurs postaux Pour valider et oblitérer au bureau de poste Ernst Reiner GmbH & Co. KG | Baumannstr. 16 78120 Furtwangen/Germany | Phone +49 7723 657-0 | [email protected] CONTENTS DOHA POSTAL STRATEGY Four goals for Posts to reach by 2016 Cover: Kotryna Zukauskaite 1 Improve networks 2 Provide knowledge COVER STORY and expertise 10 Brand adds pep to postal remittances PosTransfer is live and at Posts’ disposal 3 Promote innovation STRATEGY 4 Foster 15 Regional conferences reveal common priorities sustainability How the results will shape the next world strategy FOR MORE INFORMATION: news.upu.int/insight/world-postal-strategy/doha-postal-strategy THE INTERVIEW 18 Back in the black Alexandru Petrescu, Romania Post’s CEO, explains why business is on the right track INTERNATIONAL LETTER-WRITING COMPETITION September – October 2015 20 2015 winner honoured in Berne Sara Jadid wins gold in this year’s contest EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Faryal Mirza (FM) AUTHORS: David Koch (DK), Catherine McLean (CM), Mutua Muthusi UNITED NATIONS (MM), Clare O’Dea (CO), Julian Ryall (JR) DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Die Gestalter, Switzerland 22 UN adopts ambitious post-2015 goals SUBSCRIPTIONS: [email protected] Sustainable Development Goals to continue improving the world ADVERTISING: [email protected] CONTACT: TRADE FACILITATION Faryal Mirza Head (a.i.), Communications 24 Posts boost global trade International Bureau UPU conference provides food for thought Universal Postal Union P.O. Box 312 3000 Berne 15 MARKET FOCUS SWITZERLAND 26 Groundwork laid for drone delivery PHONE: +41 31 350 31 11 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: news.upu.int/magazine 28 Japan Post’s IPO Union Postale is the Universal Postal Union’s flagship magazine, founded in 1875. It is published quarterly in seven languages and takes a closer look at UPU activities, featuring international news and developments DEPARTMENTS from the postal sector. 4 In brief The magazine regularly publishes well researched articles on topical issues facing the industry, as well as interviews with the sector’s leading individuals. It is distributed widely to the UPU’s 192 member countries, 5 Editor’s note including thousands of decision-makers from governments and Posts, as well as other postal stake holders. All regard it as an important source of inform ation about the UPU and the postal sector at large. 29 Digest Union Postale is also published in French, Arabic, Chinese, German, Rus- sian and Spanish. 03/2015 The Universal Postal Union neither endorses any products or services offered by third-party advertisers nor guarantees the veracity of any claims made by the same. Opinions expressed in the articles are not necessarily those of the UPU. It is expressly forbidden to reproduce any part of Union Postale magazine (including text, images or illustrations) without prior permission. UNION POSTALE IN BRIEF COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION Reform, strategy and development highlighted Behind these walls, hundreds of delegates gathered.... 4 The 2015 Council of Administration Updating Acts the Union, including the CC”, civil (CA) session brought into focus a Draft revisions of the UPU Conven- society organizations and others. number of key issues, including tion and the merged Letter Post and reforms designed to streamline the Parcel Post Regulations were also Istanbul strategy work of the UPU, plans for the next approved. The proposed changes fol- The CA session was also an occasion World Postal Strategy and the UPU’s low a 2012 Congress resolution to for the UPU and member countries to development cooperation efforts. render the Postal Operations Council continue their preparations for the The wide range of topics dis- (POC) a “more efficient and swifter next World Postal Strategy, which cussed at the meetings, which took decision-making body” through a will be signed off at the 2016 Con- place at UPU headquarters from general revision of the documents. gress. October 26 to November 13, signify The draft of the revised UPU Con- The committee responsible for the diverse activities of the UPU and vention will serve as the basis for pro- strategy endorsed the second draft its member countries as they carry posed amendments at Congress next of the Istanbul World Postal Strategy, out the Doha Postal Strategy and pre- year. As for the draft revised Regula- which was refined at a series of seven pare for the Istanbul Congress next tions, it will head to the POC for regional strategy conferences provid- year. approval in February and will serve as ing key inputs for this core strategy the reference text for future pro- roadmap. (See page 15 in this issue.) Union reform posed amendments at the POC in The first draft of the four-year Reforming the UPU to make its deci- light of Congress decisions. Istanbul business plan was also pre- sion-making swifter and more effi- Also approved was a set of pro- sented. In 2012, the Doha Congress cient was a major theme. Following posals to widen the membership of introduced a provision requiring the discussions, the committee noted a the CA’s Consultative Committee CA to detail all UPU activities for the “clear consensus” in favour of re- (CC) through amendments to the work cycle in line with actual forming the UPU’s structure, deci- General Regulations. This is meant to resources available. Once finalized, 03/2015 sion-making and working methods. reinforce the CC’s role by allowing it this business plan will form the basis The ad-hoc group on reform is now to include “high-level figures from of the UPU programme and budget, tasked with arriving at a single pro- the postal sector recommended by and for the operating plans of the posal for the February 2016 CA session. member countries and the bodies of CA and POC. UNION POSTALE EDITOR’S NOTE Many hands make light work IN BRIEF The regions have spoken and given their views on what elements they will focus on during the next world postal work cycle. As the article in this issue shows, the regions have similar preoccupations that will and, frankly, should shape the next world postal strategy. This is no small task and the mul- titude of voices will, no doubt, help to ensure that this new strategy is one that is fit for purpose and closely matches its constituents’ requirements. Way ahead This issue of the magazine sheds a light on the many developments occuring in the UPU’s corridors in recent times. The launch of the collective mark, PosTransfer, is one of the major events, deserv- ing the cover spotlight. In other news, we celebrate our membership of the United Nations’ family as it turns 70 and unveils its new Sustainable Development Goals. Just as our member countries are bracing themselves for the changes ahead in the run-up to Congress and beyond, so too is the UPU International Bureau. Happy holidays! FARYAL MIRZA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 5 Development The committee also approved a for- (such as e-commerce web shops The UPU’s efforts in development ward-looking draft document on under .post). cooperation during the 2013–2016 UPU development cooperation policy Other important issues touched period and plans for the coming cycle for the coming 2017–2020 period. upon included UPU finances, the were another focus of the CA. The According to the draft, the regional ongoing development of the remu- committee responsible for this dos- approach will remain “the corner- neration system, sustainable devel- sier, chaired by Barbados, heard that stone” of the UPU’s development opment, disaster risk management, 88 per cent of the 111 projects envis- coordination efforts, with (RDPs) at and financial inclusion. The overall aged under the Regional Develop- the heart of this approach. picture was one of diverse activity as ment Plans (RDPs) had been formu- the UPU and member countries con- lated and launched by the end of Diverse activities fronted the challenges facing Posts in August 2015. Beyond these highlights, the CA ses- the 21st century. DK That includes 35 in Africa, 21 in sion was marked by a wide variety of Asia-Pacific, 16 in the Arab region, 13 other UPU activities. To cite one in Europe/CIS, 7 in Latin America, example, the UPU’s E-commerce Pro- and 6 in the Caribbean. By the end of gramme (ECOMPRO) was noted for August, 39 had been executed. its progress in services both physical Four regional postal training cen- (including new e-commerce parcel tres have also been set up for UPU specifications) and non-physical member countries during the current work cycle, according to a report pre- sented to the committee by the Inter- national Bureau. In September 2015, a training centre for the Europe and 03/2015 CIS region opened in Russia, with one for the Arab region due to open in Tunisia in November 2015. UNION POSTALE ADDRESSING IN BRIEF Infrastructure under spotlight Mass migration from rural to urban centres and other phenomena have made addressing a matter of urgent necessity in many developing coun- tries, and was discussed during a recent conference at UPU headquar- ters in Berne, Switzerland. “Because of this rapid and uneven shift in population distribution, gov- ernments are often unable to identify or locate individuals and places for services,” said UPU director general Bishar A. Hussein at the October con- ference. Sanitation, water and electricity are among the services that often require an address. Hussein added Urban sprawl (Photo: David Shankbone) that the consequences of inadequate addressing infrastructure include the “official non-existence of individu- Stopping Ebola Exchange of ideas als”.