With a network comprising more than 650,000 offices and 5.3 million staff globally, and a public service mandate from many governments, the Post is unparalleled in its ability to deliver services to anyone, anywhere.

A new UPU project highlights the many examples of how Posts across the organization's 192-country membership have delivered essential social and financial services to those self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have known for many years that Posts are a valuable partner to help governments provide social and financial services to their citizens. This is truer today than ever, with governments and citizens beginning to recognize Posts as a lifeline to essential services as they remain home to stop the virus' spread," said UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein.

Posts have stepped in to offer everything from delivering critical personal protective equipment, testing kits and medications, to ensuring children receive their educational materials to continue their schooling from home.

The UPU has developed an online resource centre to collect these stories, where it will share case studies on successful examples in the hope of encouraging policy-makers around the world to collaborate with their posts on similar services. These will detail frameworks operators have used to implement or expand their social and financial services, as well as any checklists, protocols and tools that could help other Posts.

More information about the project and a list of successful examples of social and financial services developed in response to COVID-19 can be found on the dedicated webpage: http://www.upu.int/en/activities/postal-social-and-financial-services-during-covid-19/about-postal-social-and-financial-services-during-covid-19.html