UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION PRESS RELEASE
8 October 2013 – Berne, Switzerland
World Post Day: UN urges governments to support postal developments and modernization
On the occasion of World Post Day, celebrated tomorrow 9 October, Universal Postal Union Director General Bishar A. Hussein urges governments to support postal reform efforts in their countries to ensure the provision of efficient postal services.
Watch his video message:
In his annual message, the head of the United Nations specialized agency says that postal services continue to play a vital role in the exchange of information and goods and that Posts worldwide are redefining themselves to meet customers’ evolving needs.
“Posts remain important facilitators of national and international trade in this constantly evolving world,” he says. “The postal network, with more than 600,000 post offices, remains the largest physical network on the planet and a fundamental infrastructure that enables large segments of the economy to function.”
In a special message, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also urges governments to take advantage of the postal network’s ‘tremendous potential’ for reaching citizens. “Postal services are engines of trade, growth and development,” says Ban as they go beyond physical mail and are adapting and redefining themselves for a 21st- century communication landscape.
Watch his video message:
Although the letter-post stream continues to generate, on average, almost half of a Post’s overall revenues, the steady decline in business mail, which started several years ago, is forcing national Posts to rethink their business to meet new consumer habits.
“As e-commerce grows, postal services are positioning themselves as the delivery service of choice for goods ordered online,” says Hussein. Postal financial services are also on the rise, he adds, as Posts take advantage of their vast reach to meet the needs of the unbanked and citizens located in far-flung areas where traditional financial institutions are often not present.
In 2012, Posts globally delivered an estimated 350 billion letters and more than 6 billion parcels, according to the UPU. They also processed millions of financial transactions as more and more Posts expand their range of postal financial services.
Hussein also salutes the dedication of the more than 5 million postal staff worldwide, who work to connect people and businesses everywhere daily.