World Postal Strategy

Adopted at Congress, the UPU’s world postal strategy is a roadmap for the future. In between Congresses, held every four years, the UPU official bodies focus on achieving the strategy objectives, aimed at strengthening the three dimensions of the global postal network – physical, electronic and financial.

The UPU adopted its first strategic plan at its Washington Congress in 1989. Since then, strategies were adopted at the Congresses held in Seoul (1994), Beijing (1999), Bucharest (2004), Geneva* (2008) and Doha (2012).

The strategy takes into account the viewpoints of postal stakeholders, who are widely consulted at the drafting stage. The strategy lays the foundation for modernizing and stimulating the development of postal services worldwide.

Also taken into account are the many factors that challenge the postal sector, including globalization, market liberalization, competition, electronic substitution, the advancement of new technologies, and regional and national inequalities, among others.

The latest world postal strategy was adopted at the 25^th Universal Postal Congress in Doha, Qatar, in 2012. It is known as the Doha Postal Strategy.

This strategy's overarching aim is clear: To have the postal sector recognized as an essential component of the global economy.

*The strategy normally takes the name of the city in which the Congress was held. In 2008, the 24th UPU Congress was to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, but it was finally held in Geneva. The UPU International Bureau, instead of Switzerland, was responsible for organizing Congress, and named the 2009-2012 strategic document the Nairobi Postal Strategy to honour the expected host city.