India to preside over Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU)

Key updates-

• India will take over the chair of the intergovernmental organization following the successful elections held during the 13th APPU Congress held in Bangkok.
• Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh, erstwhile Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board will lead India at the significant forum. Dr. Singh will assume the charge of Secretary General of the Union during India’s four year tenure there.
•  It is pertinent to note that India, for the first time, is leading an international organisation in the postal sector.

About the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU)-

• Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, APPU is an intergovernmental organisation comprising 32 member countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
• It is the only restricted union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the region, which is a specialised agency of the United Nations. 
• Also, it is the Secretary General who leads the activities of the Union. 
• The secretary here also looks after the Asian Pacific Postal College (APPC), which is the largest intergovernmental postal training institute in the region.
• Aligning to its goal of extending, facilitating and improving postal relations between member countries, the Union works at forefront in ensuring that  all technical and operational projects of the UPU are fulfilled in the region and is integrated into the global postal network in the best possible way.
• Notably, the Union also acts as the regional platform for consultation on key global matters impacting the postal sector.

Further reading: https://journalsofindia.com/universal-postal-union-upu/