UPU Selects Non-Private Sector Reps to Consultative Committee; DMA's Prescott Re-Elected Chair

August 13, 2008 — In separate sessions during yesterday’s closing day of the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) 24th Universal Postal Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, the UPU’s Council of Administration (CA) and Postal Operations Council (POC) selected their representatives to the private-sector representative group called the Consultative Committee (CC). In turn, CC members re-elected its chair and vice chair for the next four years.

In that connection there was a bit of puzzlement in the Council of Administration as the chair of the Consultative Committee put forward four candidates for election rather than the required three. These candidates were Great Britain, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. These four were all very avid self-nominees. In fact Great Britain — although via the POC — served during the last term as a very active member and wished to be re-elected through the Council of Administration.

The Consultative Committee’s chair, noting that since volunteers were always welcome, then asked the CA to agree to approve new CC rules that would permit four member countries from each of the CA and POC to be named as representatives to the CC. The plan was approved by the Legal Advisor to the UPU subject to formal approval of the plan by the Consultative Committee itself.

In the Postal Operations Council the Committee submitted four candidates, three of whom had submitted nominations in accordance with the Ad Hoc Committee procedure: Spain, Denmark and Netherlands.

As the number of members would be increased by one, the United States informally offered to serve. However, in the full meeting this procedure was objected to by Nigeria, and both Japan and Costa Rica came forward and nominated themselves. The US gracefully withdrew and the POC representatives are Costa Rica, Japan, Netherlands and Spain.

At its first plenary session yesterday, the Consultative Committee re-elected by acclamation Charles Prescott of the United States as chair. Prescott, who is the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) vice president of global development, will serve until the 25th Universal Postal Congress, which will be held in Qatar in 2012.

The Consultative Committee elected as vice chair — also by acclamation — United Kingdom’s Murray Buchanan of the Royal Mail. Royal Mail’s contributions during the last four years were extensive.

The CC’s Management Committee consists of the chair, vice chair, and representatives from both the postal/public and private sector members: Saudi Arabia, Spain, Egypt, Great Britain and Netherlands from the government side, and DMA, GEA, FEDMA and PostCom from the private sector.

In welcoming all members and beginning the process of creating its work program, Prescott recalled the closing remarks of UPU Director General Edouard Dayan. “We have launched a dynamic of change and openness here in Geneva,” Prescott told his fellow CC members. “As the Director General has eloquently said, ‘We have resolutely turned our faces to the future. Be ambitious.’”

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