Postal: Bhutan is participating in the 26th Universal Postal Union (UPU) congress which is being held in Istanbul, Turkey from September 20 to October 7, according to a press release issued by the information and communications ministry.

The Bhutanese delegation led by information and communications minister DN Dhungyel, comprises of the Bhutan Post chairman, Dasho Karma Wangchuk Penjor, Bhutan Post CEO Karma Wangdi and officials of both organisations.

The minister and chairman will attend a ministerial conference scheduled for October 4 and plenary sessions thereafter while the rest of the delegation are attending meetings on development cooperation, general policy, finances and matters related to international postal services.

Representatives from the UPU’s 192 member states have gathered at the 26th UPU congress in Istanbul, Turkey, to set the agenda for the 2017-2020 cycle. The congress is the supreme decision-making authority of the Union and meets every four years to define and adopt the road map for UPU activities for each work cycle.

The UPU congress has framed a strategy centred on three goals: improving the interoperability of the postal network, ensuring sustainable and modern postal products, and fostering effective market sector functioning. The Union made many achievements  during the Doha cycle, however, the postal sector still faces a new frontier with the development of new technologies, increased demand for e-commerce and emergence of new competitors.

Bhutan became a member of the UPU in 1969, two years before becoming a member of the United Nations. Since then Bhutan has been an active member of the United Nations body. Besides being instrumental for advancing the postal sector, Bhutan’s membership of the UPU has provided another multilateral platform for it to engage with the international community.

Bhutan’s membership of the UPU has helped it to develop and modernise the country’s postal services.  The membership enhanced the country’s communication and engagement with the rest of the world, and also within the country.

With UPU support, Bhutan has been able to modernise and develop its postal sector in step with developments globally, and continues to do so.  The support Bhutan has received in the form of technical assistance, capacity development, access to information technology systems, and project tied assistance have been instrumental in enabling Bhutan to meet its universal service obligation in providing postal services to the most remote parts of the country, introduce new services as well as to continuously improve the quality of these services.

Staff reporter