UPU: This Congress is our opportunity to ensure that every link in our network is strong
Decision makers from the Universal Postal Union‘s 192 member countries will convene this week and next to set the UPU’s 2026–2029 strategy and shape the development of postal services over the next four years.
Highlighting the Congress’s role, UPU Director General Masahiko Metoki said, “This Congress is our opportunity to ensure that every link in our network is strong. It is our opportunity to demonstrate that, despite any differences in views or interests, we are able to build common solutions, regardless of our region, level of development or business model. It is our opportunity to work collectively for the benefit of all, to build on what has always made our postal community and the UPU so unique for more than the last 150 years: solidarity and universality.”
The UPU Director General also expressed his gratitude to the United Arab Emirates. The supreme decision-making body of the UPU is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
H.E. Badr Al-Olama, Honorary Chair of the Congress and Chairman of 7X, said: “The 28th Universal Postal Congress is an opportunity to set the tone for the next era of universal postal services, and to ensure that the sector remains relevant and responsive to twenty-first century realities. The United Arab Emirates commits to this Congress a spirit of consensus building and partnership, oriented towards action and anchored in service, so that the progress we set in motion today resonates across regions and generations.”
Proceedings
The proceedings began this afternoon with the UPU Global Leaders Summit, which will gather more than 50 ministers, as well as heads of postal regulators and CEOs from postal operators and the wider sector, to provide a bird’s-eye view on the sector’s opportunities in the digital age and how to seize them.
Discussion on the UPU’s next four-year work plan and its financing will begin on Tuesday.
Member countries will review proposals that seek to modernize postal products, remuneration and quality of service for the e-commerce era; strengthen the postal sector’s role as an inclusive services provider; ensure the network’s resilience; and deepen the UPU’s regional support to developing countries.
On 10 September, following the regular Congress agenda, the UPU will convene a special session to brief member countries on the latest developments concerning network disruptions related to regulatory changes introduced by the United States on 29 August. This session will also present the solutions being explored and offer a dedicated forum for open discussion.
The 28th Universal Postal Congress will continue until 19 September and is chaired by 7X Group CEO Tariq Al Wahedi.
