Deciding the future of global postal services

The postal sector continues to play a critical role in fueling countries’ social and economic development.

The last Congress was held in Geneva in 2008

The global network that connects its players remains a formidable infrastructure through which essential public services are provided to millions of citizens and businesses.

As evolutions in the communication industry change customer expectations and the way Posts operate, the world’s postal decision-makers and leaders - more than 1,500 people - will gather in Qatar’s capital, Doha, from 24 September to 15 October, for the 25th Universal Postal Congress. They will not only take stock of the state of the postal sector, but also take decisions that will shape its future.

Doha Postal Strategy

Delegates from the UPU’s 192 member countries and other major stakeholders will discuss broad issues affecting the global postal sector today, including the use of innovative technologies to improve postal services, the role of Posts in facilitating financial inclusion and global trade, the contribution of postal services to development issues, and the future of the postal sector.

Countries are expected to adopt the Doha Postal Strategy, the UPU’s four-year roadmap until 2016, the date of the next Congress.

The world’s postal services today process and deliver some 381 billion letters and 6 billion parcels annually using an awesome worldwide network linking them together through sophisticated processes and technologies. Postal networks also provide financial, logistics and e-commerce services to countless customers, and Posts are increasingly moving into the field of electronic  services to better meet customers’ evolving communication needs.

Ministerial conference

A high-level conference on 8 October will invite ministers in charge of the postal sector and other prominent figures to discuss the evolution of postal services in the face of major technological advances, explore how the postal sector fosters economic and social inclusion, and share their vision of the future postal sector.

The 25th Universal Postal Congress is being graciously hosted by the Government of Qatar, in association with its national designated operator, Q-Post.

The Universal Postal Congress is the supreme authority of the Union. It brings together plenipotentiaries of all member countries every four years to discuss the state of the global postal sector and decide on its future.