Episode 173: UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein
Ian Kerr
Universal Postal Union Director General Bishar A. Hussein
In the wake of probably the most tumultuous week in the Universal Postal Union’s history, UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein is my special guest. In this interview, recorded days after the UPU Extraordinary Congress, we discuss:
Background to the debate over the compensation system
How discussions progressed over an extended period
Resistance to attempts at reform
Tensions between different countries at the negotiating table
When countries can start “self-declaring” rates
What would have happened if no compromise had been found
The role of the UPU in the future and the need for the union to be fit for purpose
Opening up UPU membership to private carriers
How the UPU and the postal sector is more than just letters
Reform that has already occurred within the UPU
Reforms to the contribution system, pension fund system, the quorum system, and more
Comparisons with the ITU and its membership
Could we see Jeff Bezos at the UPU?
The range of treaties that flow through the UPU relating to cross-border trade
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