Botswana has joined 192 member countries of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) ongoing Union Congress held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The congress began on August , 09th and will come to an end on the 29th of this month.
However, due to travel restrictions, Botswana delegates are participating virtually but will be able to vote due to Botswana’s good standing in the Union.
Congress is the supreme authority of the UPU and meets every four years. Plenipotentiaries from UPU’s 192 member countries gather to shape the future of the postal sector.
During this year’s Congress, the UPU’s member countries are expected to adopt the new World Postal Strategy – a roadmap for the new work cycle commencing in 2022.
Congress will also decide on new rules and set policies on the international exchange of postal items.
As part of the proceedings, member countries will elect the next UPU Director-General and Deputy Director-General.
They will also decide on the membership of the UPU’s Council of Administration (CA) and Postal Operations Council (POC) for the 2021-2024 period.
Botswana is a candidate for POC which is the technical and operational mind of the UPU and consists of 40 member countries, elected during Congress.
The body elects its own chair and meets annually at the UPU’s headquarters in Berne, Switzerland.
The POC’s work programme is geared towards helping Posts modernise and upgrade their postal products and services. It deals with the operational, economic and commercial aspects of the postal business.
If elected as a member of POC, Botswana will enjoy a number of benefits such as having an opportunity to drive annual key projects at a regional level to improve the quality of service between operators.
