How the internet is reshaping global postal services

On October 9, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) will celebrate its 150th anniversary. SWI swissinfo.ch spoke to UPU director general Masahiko Metoki about competition and how public and private postal services must work hand-in-hand. In Murifeld, a 10-minute tram ride from Bern's old town, there is a building with a large Pegasus monument in front of it. This is the headquarters of the Universal Postal Union, or UPU, the second-oldest international organisation in the world. Its existence is surprisingly unknown, yet the UPU has a major impact on how letters are sent, stamped and processed by mail services worldwide. It ensures that a letter or parcel can make its way seamlessly across the borders of different states. "A defect in the postal network of any country affects the postal network of the whole world. The UPU helps to ensure that the postal network has the same quality across all countries," explains Masahiko Metoki, who has been at the helm of the UPU since 2022. A ...