The 22nd Congress of the Universal Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (UPAEP) opens today in Havana, Cuba, and closes on 13 September. The Congress, which meets every four years, is the Postal Union's highest governing body.
The agenda covers issues such as updating legal documents, technical cooperation and regulation of the postal sector, as well as the Union's management and strategy.
The Congress will also elect the UPAEP Secretary General (SG) and members of the Advisory and Executive Council (AEC) Management Committee, the body that provides continuity in the period between congresses.
There are two candidates standing for the post of Secretary General, Roberto Cavanna Merchan from Ecuador and, from Bolivia, Edwin Viscarra Olazabal, current UPAEP Council Member and Assistant SG (a post that is due to be eliminated at this Congress). The successful candidate will succeed Uruguay's Serrana Bassini Casco who has led the Union for the last 8 years (elected in 2005) and was formerly a UPAEP Council Member.
The members of the Management Committee will also be elected, which includes the country presiding over the AEC (automatically the country hosting the congress, in this case Cuba) and representatives from six member countries. There are ten known candidates: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Spain, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- UPAEP - Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=66805
