SECRETARYGENERAL’S DESK

Greetings from the Asian-Pacific Postal Union!

As we bring 2025 to a close, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to all of you and express my sincere appreciation for your continued commitment to the work of the APPU community. This has been a year marked by transition for the global postal sector, yet our region has shown remarkable resilience, steady progress, and a spirit of cooperation that continues to strengthen our collective capacity.

Earlier this month, we gathered in Bangkok for the 12 APPU Postal
Business Forum. The discussions, presentations, and exchanges
throughout the week reflected not only the challenges we face, but also the determination across our region to navigate them thoughtfully. I was especially encouraged by the openness demonstrated during the Postal CEOs Roundtable, where leaders from different parts of the world shared how they are reshaping strategy, modernising operations, and building the partnerships needed for the next phase of growth. Despite vast differences in market scale and national context, their priorities were strikingly aligned — digital transformation, operational redesign, and stronger collaboration within and beyond the postal family

This year’s Postal Innovation Awards also reminded us that innovation is not confined to large operators alone. The projects recognised — from digital addressing and communitybased solutions to sustainability frameworks and large-scale AI applications — show the breadth of ideas emerging across our region. These initiatives reflect the commitment of member countries to improve services, experiment with new models, and invest in transformation even when resources are limited.

Our training programmes at the Asian-Pacific Postal College also concluded on a strong note. The final courses of the year, including the Postal Management Course — with its study tour to Japan — and the Human Resource Management Course, brought our 2025 calendar to a meaningful close. I extend my gratitude to all institutions and experts who contributed to these programmes throughout the year.

Looking ahead to 2026, the region enters a period where the pace of change will only intensify. The discussions at the Business Forum made it clear that the next few years will require decisive steps:

• embracing data-driven and intelligent systems,
• reconfiguring our physical networks for a new demand
  landscape,
• strengthening cross-border capabilities, and
• investing in people, skills and leadership at every level.