Universal Postal Union

The Postal Service continued its leadership role in activities during the Council of Administration (CA) and Postal Operations Council sessions in fall of 2009 and spring of 2010. At the fall session, the Postal Service participated in several groups to advance development of electronic tools, procedures, and standards to enhance the exchange of international mail and parcels, with particular focus on customs, tracking, and automated account settlement. The CA also considered a presentation by the Postal Service on the operational and accounting challenges posed by Extraterritorial Offices of Exchange.

In the spring session, the Postal Operations Council decided on several issues relevant to the Postal Service, including improved payment for open transit and missent items, a postal air waybill to be used by airlines to track postal shipments, and a Domain Management Policy for use of the “.post” Internet domain name. As a follow up to discussions on the financial crisis held last year, the UPU hosted an international panel on postal strategies to respond to the crisis. The discussion featured a number of executives, including the postmaster general who participated by videoconference. The UPU Consultative Committee hosted the first Global Addressing Summit, featuring a diverse group of speakers who discussed developments in the addressing arena.

In late September 2010, the Postal Service participated in the UPU Strategy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. This conference focused on the need for diversification in the postal sector and highlighted opportunities in e-commerce, e-government, and financial services.