The Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, the Speaker of the Advisory Council H E Mohammad bin Mubarak Al Khulaifi and the Director-General of the Universal Postal Union Edouard Dayan at the opening ceremony of the 25th Universal Postal Congress at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday.
DOHA: Diversification, innovation and opening up to international market had been the key for postal operators in weathering the financial crisis that beset the world, said Edouard Dayan, director general of the Universal Postal Union, during the opening plenary session of the 25th Universal Postal Congress at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday.
“There is no doubt about it: Operators that went down the path of diversification, innovation and creativity, and that opened up to international markets, resisted the effects of the crisis and even experienced growth,” said Dayan, looking back to the past four years since the last Congress held in Geneva.
Like all areas of economic activity, the postal sector had felt the impact of the economic crisis, in addition to other crises including environmental and other issues such as security and migration.
He said the Universal Postal Union was able to meet challenges over the past four years and that it had accomplished many things making it stronger, more efficient, better managed and better equipped for the future.
“The crisis has presented an opportunity for the UPU to assess whether its strategic choices fit the current reality. There is no doubt that our actions, projects, methods and strategic choices have been relevant and have allowed the UPU to anticipate changes and adapt to them, and thus to support its member countries in this difficult period.”
He said in the last four years the UPU have been able to put in place many projects and have positioned the postal sector at the heart of current issues such as trade, economic development, e-commerce, bridging of the digital divide, migratory issues and money transfers, financial inclusion, the environment and sustainable development, security, urbanization and land use.
In a message read at the plenary session, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon lauded the multi-faceted role UPU plays in the realization of the Millennium Development Goals.
“The UPU is contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by supporting poverty reduction - through financial inclusion, accessible and secure money transfers and trade facilitation- and by promoting education, literacy and health,” he said.
He also praised the UPU for “continuously looking for new ways to address the heightened threat of crime, including the trafficking of drugs and dangerous goods, with a special emphasis on helping vulnerable or fragile countries, and is also promoting sustainable development and climate change mitigation through best practices.”
“The three dimensions of the global postal network - physical, electronic and financial - are integral to social and economic development.
“By serving as natural gateways to the information society, the world’s postal outlets are helping to ensure universal access to communications.”
The Peninsula
