When the Universal Postal Union’s 192 member countries gather at the 28th Universal Postal Congress in Dubai this September, they will consider proposals to modernize the global postal product portfolio. At the heart of this discussion is the Integrated Product Plan (IPP) – a roadmap designed to align international postal services with the evolving needs of customers in today’s digital and e-commerce-driven world.
The UPU was founded over 150 years ago to establish a reliable, affordable, and truly global communication channel – primarily through agreements defining, standardizing and enabling the exchange of international letter mail. While the introduction of international parcel services expanded this mission, letter delivery has long remained the cornerstone of international postal exchange.
A century and a half later, the way we communicate has changed, as have our expectations of what and how the postal network delivers. With the rise of digital technology, particularly e-commerce, today’s customers demand more convenience, transparency, and control over how their items are delivered.
E-sellers have made it clear: they will select the delivery service that provides what their customers expect. (....)