UAE selected as the venue for UPU Strategy Conference

This is the first time that the UPU Strategy Conference will be held outside Switzerland, the headquarters of UPU. The past two conferences of 1997 and 2002 were held at the International Convention Centre, Geneva. The Strategy Conference is held once in four years.

The event, to be hosted by Emirates Post under the patronage of H.E. Sultan Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister for Transportation and Chairman of Emirates Post, will take place in Dubai in November 2006.

The announcement was made at a press conference addressed by Mr. James Gunderson, Director, Office of the Director General, Strategic Planning and Communication, UPU, and Mr. Abdullah Al Daboos, Director General of Emirates Post, in Dubai today.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gunderson said: 'The UPU Strategy Conference, held in between two Congresses, takes stock of the progress of various projects and initiatives of UPU and charts the direction for posts until the next UPU Congress which will be held in Nairobi in 2008. UPU decided to hold the Strategy Conference outside its headquarters in order to generate greater involvement from different countries of this region.'

'UPU has always been impressed by Emirates Post's proactive approach to UPU activities as well as its achievements in posts and related fields. In addition, the UAE has been making its presence felt on the global map through a number of dynamic initiatives. For example, the hosting of the Annual Meetings of IMF and World Bank in 2003 proved to the world that the UAE had the drive and expertise to organise global events. We are confident that Emirates Post will spare no efforts in making this event a success,' added Mr. Gunderson.

'It is a great honour for the UAE and Emirates Post to be selected as the venue for such a major conference,' said Mr. Abdullah Al Daboos. 'Further, the decision reflects the world body's intention to give importance to the Middle East, and build closer interaction with the nations in the region. As posts undergo major transformation driven by changes in technology and business processes, the UPU has a pivotal role to play in helping posts adapt to the new business environment. The Strategy Conference in Dubai will define the new direction for posts in the region and around the globe.'

'Emirates Post has had a long and cordial relationship with UPU. At the UPU Congress 2004 held in Bucharest, Emirates Post was elected a member of the Council of Administration, an influential body within the UPU,' Mr. Al Daboos added. 'We are delighted to be selected as the hosts for the 2006 UPU Strategy Conference. This honour comes at a time when Emirates Post is scaling new heights in innovation and diversification, and will soon be active in non-postal areas such as money exchange, logistics, direct mail and card personalization, among others.'

Mr. Gunderson, who was in Dubai on his maiden visit as part of preparations for the Strategy Conference, met senior officials of Emirates Post and briefed them on the logistics of hosting such a conference and assured cooperation from UPU. Mr. Gunderson also reviewed the potential venues for the event and other facilities, including simultaneous translation facilities in 8 languages, one of the key requirements for UPU conferences.

The Strategy Conference, held once in four years, reviews the UPU's activities and accomplishments in terms of the World Postal Strategy. The Conference takes the form of an international forum where postal sector leaders gather for two or three days to discuss the challenges ahead and to identify strategies for the coming years. The Conference further provides an opportunity for postal decision-makers and industry partners to better understand developments in the postal environment and to find ways to develop and sustain a dynamic, competitive postal infrastructure directed at satisfying customer needs. Key issues to be discussed will include market liberalization, regulation, postal reform, sustainable development and the role of the postal sector in the Information Society.