The Universal Postal Union (UPU) has called for the development of a voluntary, risk-based framework to guide the safe, inclusive and interoperable use of artificial intelligence across the global postal sector. The proposal was presented during the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the AI for Good Global Summit, hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
As an established network connecting nearly every country, the UPU used the events to demonstrate how the postal sector is a fundamental enabler of trusted and inclusive digital public infrastructure and how it is translating AI governance principles in practice.
During the event the UPU’s Director for Policy, Regulation and Markets, Siva Somasundram, highlighted the postal sector’s potential as a starting point for implementing practical governance frameworks.
Speaking as part of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance attended by heads of state, UN leaders, ministers and CEOs on 7 July, Somasundram reiterated AI governance risks underscored in the high-level panel’s report. Safeguards are not keeping pace with AI capabilities, platforms are not yet auditable, governance instruments remain fragmented, and multiple autonomous agents interacting across connected systems pose additional risks. (....)