Last month I arrived in Dubai for the UPU Postal Congress, dubbed the Olympics of the postal world, because it happens once an Olympiad (ie 4 years).
The Postal Congress where all the postal operators of the world, known as Designated Operators in postal speak (ie - DO’s) meet to discuss, debate, and vote on the key critical items and strategies for the next 4 year cycle, also known as the Dubai Cycle after the host country.
Not only do the DO’s attend, but also the related state department or ministry, as well as the regulators, since it’s often the government entity that votes on key issues and not actually the postal operator.
Arrival and Reception
A good restaurateur friend of mine always likes to say that “100 small details add up to 1 big experience,” and arriving at the Dubai Airport, the official UPU Welcome Desk served as a fantastic opener of the level of hospitality that would be come from the Dubai state and our host 7x (fka the Emirates Post Group).
Opening night of the Dubai Postal Congress, hosted by the UAE and 7x, was absolutely the biggest dinner hall I have ever seen in my life.
A huge buffet, a live band, multiple cultural performances, and great company as we saw many friends from around the world, with many dressed to impressed.
The Work
Getting to work the next day was hard because I couldn’t understand how the seating chart worked. It turns out the official language for the seating chart was in French.
The postal world is in big trouble. I wish I had the video clip from the Dubai Postal Congress of the delegate from Canada Post addressing the congress on the need to acknowledge the challenges of the industry and urgency in which the UPU needs to tackle those changes, but Canada Post / Postes Canada‘s message echoed throughout the congress.
Let’s get some of the big issues out there. In no particular order:
1. Letter mail is dying OBVIOUSLY. But the cost of fulfilling Universal Service Obligations (USOs) which posts are obligated to do, is killing many posts.
As each country grapples with it’s own USO, the UPU needs to ensure that it continues to facilitate the desires of nations to reduce their commitment and obligations for mail delivery so that they can stem the losses.
2. Posts are becoming private logistics companies. The U.S. Department of State was quite pointed in it’s address to the Postal Congress that it questions whether a postal operator should try to act like a private logistics company, and whether postal players would be able to compete with private commercial entities.
3. Some posts are more advanced and savvy than other posts. This is causing imbalance and misalignment in a number of areas. This needs to be addressed, although the solution is not easy nor obvious.
4. Why do we need the UPU? I love asking this rhetorical question to everyone in the postal community because the issue I see is that I don’t see clear alignment. If we can have this problem at a 400+ person company like AfterShip, we are definitely going to have it in an organization like Universal Postal Union where there must be at least 1,000+ people directly involved.
Passing of Resolution
VICTORY! WE DID IT! One of the biggest wins at the UPU Postal Congress in Dubai was the passing of a resolution that expanded the scope of what the Consultative Committee, on which I participate through AfterShip, could do.
See without this resolution, the mandate of the Consultative Committee (CC) was limited to writing reports - boring!
We needed 71 votes to pass, and tension filled the air as we stalled at 70 votes with a few countries indicating that they had technical difficulties with voting.
As IT staff rushed over to troubleshoot, the consultative committee leadership and members huddled in the back as every second that ticked by felt like hours, and confidence levels oscillated between self assured to nervous.
And then, it came. Vote #71.
Here’s my live video of the the vote that took us across the line!
So what did I learn from this?
I learned that lawyers from around the world can spend hours debating the meaning of 3 words, and that not when you have such a large group with different interests, not everyone will be aligned on what’s “good” for the UPU.
With the new mandate passed, however, I remind all UPU members of Amazon famous “Disagree and Commit” creed.
With all these amazing companies in the CC like AfterShip, Escher Group, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, as well as the duties and customs heroes like Zonos, Hurricane Modular Commerce Ltd, Avalara, MyDutyCollect, and digital communications solutions like e-Boks, iPostal1, Ship2MyID (Member of UPU Consultative Committee), and other famous companies like IPO-ready unicorn Shiprocket, the UPU and it’s members can expect the Consultative Committee to submit proposals and for work, programs, and anything else that benefits the UPU. In other words, the UPU can finally finally utilize these fantastic resources at it’s disposal .
This is HUGE for any postal that is looking for real world practical advice, whether it’s an established postal with massive resources that is looking to compete head up with the most competitive logistics companies, or whether it’s a developing post that just needs the actual playbook to get off the ground - it’s now available.
US Deminis is a Big Deal
The US end of de mininis took the center stage at a special session which ran to nearly 7pm as countries took turns taking our their frustration on the US.
The frustration of member countries are understood and justified, but the reality is that there is no legal precedence to challenge either the end of the de mininis, or it’s speed of change. The US State Department, supported by delegates from CBP and USPS highlighted that it was neither the first, nor likely the last, to end it’s de mininis.
In Between The Work
During meal times at the UPU Dubai Postal Congress, country ministries like UAE, Japan, India, China, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar take turns to display their culinary might.
I found the dynamic interesting as you can imagine sponsoring a meal for hundreds of people requires quite some budget.
For those people who are more extroverted leaning, it can be a really fun experience to randomly sit with people you don’t know and meet new friends.
One thing is pretty much guaranteed at a UPU event is that there’s pretty much people from everyone country in the world gathered there, so you never know what you’re going to get!
Opening Reception - UAE (previously covered)
Day 1 Lunch - Japan
Day 1 Dinner - India
The most exciting development unveiled in my opinion was the Indian delegation’s 30 minute address by Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the Minister of Communications and Development of India, in which he indicated that India’s UPI payment system, now bigger than Visa/Mastercard, is now accessible globally via post offices.
Day 2 Lunch - China
On the second day’s lunch sponsored by China, we had a “Mongolian stir fried beef” which basically looked and tasted the same as “Terriyaki beef” from the lunch sponsored by Japan. It was then that I knew the fried rice on Day 3 was going to be amazing.
Day 2 Dinner - Saudi Arabia
Day 3 Lunch - Qatar
I was not invited to the Day 3 lunch sponsored by Qatar. Perhaps next time.
That’s All Folks
