The opening up of international organizations marks a significant shift in the architecture of global governance. Traditionally, these institutions have been the domain of sovereign states, serving as platforms for interstate cooperation on various issues ranging from security to trade and communication.

However, the complexities of globalization and the proliferation of transnational challenges have necessitated a broader inclusion of diverse actors. This inclusivity not only enhances the legitimacy of international organizations but also enriches their operational capacity and responsiveness.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) provides a quintessential example of this evolution. Founded in 1874 to create a single postal territory for the exchange of mail, the UPU has been instrumental in standardizing international postal services.

As communication technologies have advanced and the needs of global postal services have diversified, the UPU has also undergone significant transformations.

These changes include the incorporation of new technologies, the expansion of its membership and the engagement with non-state actors such as civil society, academia, private courier companies and international regulatory bodies.

Journey toward inclusivity

UPU membership and consequently access to its multilateral agreements, discussions, decision-making processes, products and services, has traditionally been limited to governments and their designated postal operators. The opening up aims to broaden participation from a diverse range of postal sector players within the UPU's forums, network, products and services.

Throughout its 150-year history, the UPU has convened just four extraordinary congresses, with one dedicated solely to discussing the opening of the UPU to external stakeholders. While the issue of opening up has gained prominence recently, it has been on the agenda for over three decades, underscoring its longstanding history.

According to UPU sources, in 1999, the Beijing Congress approved the creation of an advisory group to increase participation in the UPU's activities. In 2004, the Bucharest Congress replaced this group with the UPU Consultative Committee to enhance the involvement of broader postal sector players. The Doha Congress in 2012 adopted Resolution C/26 to further engage sector stakeholders through a consultative, collaborative and contributory model.

The Istanbul Congress in 2016 allowed wider postal sector players access to select UPU products and services.

In 2019, the task force dedicated to the UPU's opening up conducted an extensive consultation on opening the UPU to external players, with positive responses from 54% of posts, 64% of governments, 77% of regulators and 80% of other stakeholders. In 2020, the UPU held a high-level forum for wider postal sector engagement at its headquarters in Berne. The 2021 Abidjan Congress continued the task force's work across three streams: institutional change, opening UPU products and services and continuous reform, with results to be presented at the 2023 Extraordinary Congress.

In 2022, the UPU Consultative Committee (CC) was restructured to include individual companies from the wider postal sector. Finally, in 2023, the UPU's 4th Extraordinary Congress in Riyadh was convened to decide on the plans for opening the UPU to a broader range of postal sector players.

Today, the CC has grown to include over 50 members from various member states, which is expected to continue rising.

Leave no one behind

The expansion of the UPU has introduced a myriad of conceptual and structural inquiries. Consultations to date have elucidated the perspectives from both designated and non-designated sectors, offering strategic guidance moving forward.

First and foremost, it is imperative to delve deeply into the origins of the opening up and discern the distinctions between designated postal operators and external stakeholders. When analyzing the postal industry in Europe, it becomes apparent that numerous proficient external stakeholders coexist with postal operators. This synergy underscores the cooperative spirit and competitive landscape between authorized and non-authorized entities within the postal sector.

However, this scenario is not universal. Many designated postal operators around the world continue to grapple with challenges in meeting their missions or achieving their objectives due to considerable inefficiencies.

Even today, numerous towns, cities and villages lack sufficient postal infrastructure, highlighting the limited attention paid to postal services in various global regions. Out of the 650,000 post offices worldwide, most of the 100,000 that remain unconnected are in these zones.

Furthermore, there are notable disparities in technical, physical, digital, managerial and professional skills among postal operators and stakeholders. As an example, while Europeans enjoy high satisfaction levels with the quality and variety of postal products and services, African posts struggle to meet basic customer needs.

From a different angle, postal operators vary significantly in sophistication levels. Consequently, unilateral competition in regions like Africa does not foster an environment conducive to cooperation that could benefit local postal operators. In contrast, the situation in Europe presents a different scenario. For instance, out of 52 members on the UPU's Consultative Committee, only a few represent Africa.

While highly competent non-authorized external stakeholders of European origin already had a significant influence on key aspects such as question formulation, content, scope, terminology and road maps, the challenge remains of how Africa and other impoverished regions can be fully integrated into a process that has largely matured without its inclusive input.

It is understandable that the opening up is expected to intensify competition between external stakeholders and postal operators globally. However, this dynamic should not be confined to a specific region. It is crucial that the UPU continues to address the opening up comprehensively in upcoming annual meetings, ensuring a robust framework that addresses all relevant aspects.

The following consideration is crucial: Could the elimination of minor barriers to integrating highly competent external stakeholders into the UPU impose additional burdens on postal operators already grappling with survival?

Developments in Türkiye

Amid all this unfolding on the international level, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University's (FSMVÜ) Middle East and Africa Studies Centre (ORDAM) organized a modest postal workshop in 2021 in cooperation with Türkiye's designated postal operator.

At the workshop, academics, researchers and philatelists from different parts of Türkiye came together to exchange ideas on the pre-republic postal services and beyond.

Modest yet encouraging, the workshop aimed to refresh consciousness by providing a platform for reflection, discussion and promotion of postal understanding in Türkiye, a founding member of the UPU.

Analyzing each service, product, move, work, initiative and activity can offer a unique competitive advantage, which is a must to remain a leading postal power in the new era and to be able to cooperate with the incoming stakeholders. In this context, the effort of an external stakeholder to invite Türkiye’s designated postal operator and academics to discuss postal services is worth remembering.