November 7, 2024 Official Announcement of Mr. Masahiko METOKI being the Candidate for the Election of the Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU)

 The government of Japan decided to support Masahiko METOKI, the current Director General of the International Bureau of the UPU (for the term from 2022 to 2025), in his standing for the election of the Director General of the International Bureau that will be conducted in the Postal Union Congress held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, in September 2025, aiming to return for a second term (from 2026 to 2029).　

1. Outline of the UPU

 The UPU is a United Nations specialized agency established in 1874 with the aim of developing communications between people by the efficient operation of the postal services, and of contributing to international collaboration in the cultural, social and economic fields. It will mark the 150th anniversary of its foundation this year.
 The headquarters is located in Berne, Switzerland. There are currently 192 member countries and regions. Japan has been a member country of the UPU since 1877 and is one of the countries that provides support of the largest scale in terms of both finance and human resources.

2. The candidate

 Mr. METOKI, the current Director General of the International Bureau, joined the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and was in charge of the international postal sector at Japan Post Co., Ltd. He has detailed and extensive experience in postal services in general. In the UPU, after serving as the chair of the Postal Operations Council, which is in charge of technical issues involved in postal services, for nine years from 2012, he was elected as the Director General of the International Bureau at the UPU Congress held in 2021, and is taking initiatives in the functional enhancement and the financial reconstruction of the UPU as the only Japanese person serving as the head of the specialized agency of UN. His strong leadership is evaluated highly, and the government of Japan believes that he is qualified to win the re-election in September next year and continue serving in a second term.

3. Efforts

 Japan will actively approach the governments of the UPU member countries, while making efforts to help Mr. METOKI win the election.

(Reference 1) Outline of the Universal Postal Union
(Reference 2) Brief personal history of Mr. Masahiko METOKI