 I am delighted to be a moderator for the announcement of the 2021 winner of the International Letter Writing Competition. Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, since 1971, the Universal Postal Union has encouraged young writers aged between 9 to 15 years old to write letters on a given theme. This year, it is of additional importance as the UPU is proud to be holding its 50th competition. The competition raises awareness about the role played by postal services in all our societies. Letter Writing helps develop young people's skills in composition and enables them to express their thoughts clearly. Each year, millions of children take part in the competition and in doing so promote literacy and contribute to the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and help strengthen the bounds of international friendship. Over the last 18 months, we have all been profoundly affected by the coronavirus. Most importantly, how have young people in Batuquelo felt about the momentous changes? This year, SIM sets out to explore the experiences as we asked them to write a letter to a family member about your experience with COVID-19. I would now like to invite the Director General of the UPU, Sir Charles Sain, to step forward to an after-winner. Distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, a very warm welcome to this special event announcing the winner of the International Letter Writing competition. The International Letter Writing competition is a global competition that involves millions of children from dozens of countries and is held every year. From the very start of my time as Director General, I've always relished the opportunities to celebrate the lives and experiences of these young people. A few days ago, at my press conference, I mentioned about how children who are able to seize this opportunity can rise to the highest level. Each of the winners of this STEM competition, now 50 years old, is an individual whose talents quite literally is a bright beacon for everyone to see. At every event celebrating this competition, I have experienced this myself when listening and talking to the winners. They all seem to have a special gift, whether it is singing, poetry, public speaking or numerous other accomplishments. The winners all display wisdom, strength of character that goes far beyond their years, something that makes them stand out as individuals and as ambassadors of their generation. I believe it is the flame of youth. It is therefore sad that this year, this year's winner cannot be with us today. Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic has made this impossible. But I know she is with us in spirit and after all, we have the undeniable power of their winning letter. But even sadder is that this year's theme is write a letter to a member of your family about your experience of COVID. Our accomplished writer is yet another victim of this terrible pandemic. But even without her being present, her voice can be heard. It speaks directly to us through her stimulating letter. The winner of the Universal Postal Union's National Letter Writing Competition 2021 is none other than Nubesha Slam, a 14-year-old girl from Sahel, a metropolitan city in north eastern Bangladesh. Please give her a big round of applause. Nubesha's letter and her story is told against the background of the pandemic and its deadly impact on the Bangladesh. She is taken, she is talking to her young sister Amal and is grabbing the pain felt by the family at the loss of their aunt to the deadly disease. The letter combines the strong elements of emotions, thoughts on the weather and the mediation of life and what it means to live. The 193 countries, 7.9 billion people, bust the virus. Can you imagine nature's rage? Is she being vengeful? Are we being punished for wrecking her world? Does that mean we have been held captive in our own very homes? Or maybe she's ushering us to our senses, making us realize our mindlessness, wrongdoings. Just how much would do, how man would do it if I did something wrong? Maybe this is why nature is a she, a mother to mankind. Nubesha's letter is also surely speaking to everyone about our experience of the last 18 months when she mentions her fears. Once my third grade English teacher has asked her, has asked what I fear most, I remember answering thunderstorms and spiders, but now I'll say it is death as well as the fear of losing someone. Alia, Alia, she says in a message to us all, the virus is deadly, so is losing hope, but even I mean such pain and loss, Nubesha does not give up hope, again she returns to image of the nature that surrounds us. The sun is setting among the foliage, making the end of the last day of the year an arrival of a new dawn of a new year. I may have lost Bupi, but I still got the hopes of meeting Yusun. Your name means hope, Amal, and that is what is unique to you. She ends with a line, but never lose hope, Amal, never. Stingy delegates, ladies and gentlemen, my warmest congratulations to Nusheiba, Nubesha and my colleagues will invite her to ban as soon as possible when she will have possibility of travel there. I would also like to congratulate the runners, runner-ups in the competition, Bruno Ivanovich, 14 years old from North Macedonia, and the third place went to Doa Anna II, aged 14 years from Vietnam. Please give them a big round of applause. Allow me also to warmly thank the Bangladesh Post, especially Mr. Siraz Houdin, the director-general for all his help. Finally, let me encourage everyone watching to make sure their country's children can take part in future competitions like this. Thank you very much, and I wish you a successful event. Thank you, madam. Thank you, director-general, and I would like to play a short video from the window, which was generously put to us by Bangladesh Post, in particular, I would especially like to thank Mr. Siraz Houdin, the director-general of Bangladesh Post, for his dedication and commitment. Dear Amal, I wasn't jealous of all the attention you get when mom and dad told me I was going to have a little sister, not even when they bought a crib for you where I spent the first two years of my life sleeping on a floor mattress. But I did envy you when I realized you had a protective womb shielding from the deadly outside world, and I didn't. Still find it hard to believe that you'll be all grown up as you're reading this tall and intelligent, just like your sister here. I hope you're living a blissful life. Rom not. You never know when a slight drizzle can turn into a violent storm. What seemed to be a two-weeks-much-needed mid-spring break came to be an incessant imprisonment to our very own home. The suddenness of how life took a U-turn in a matter of weeks makes this even more chilling. You must know what I'm talking about. You must have books lined up with the struggles of me and others like me. But this is my story, sister to sister, never to be known by anyone else. Looking back, I realized how naive I was. Pandemic, quarantine, SARS, terms I never heard before. The more everything made sense, the more my heart shrank. I was such blinded by my faith in technology that the thought of a possible outbreak never occurred to me. 193 countries, 7.9 billion people versus a virus. Can you imagine? Is this mother nature's rage? Is she being vengeful? Are we being punished for wrecking her world? Does that mean we're being held captive in our very own homes? Or maybe she's ushering us to her senses, making us realize our mind lives wrong doings. Just how ma would do if I did something wrong. Maybe this is why nature is a she, a mother to the mankind. Virus is deadly, and so is losing hope. Numbed by the already wrecked up world, I didn't know what to do. Those death counts, huge numbers became something we had to hear every single day. The brushes and paints didn't pique my interests. For the first time, I abandoned an unfinished painting. I didn't know what to do when mom sank into depression. I just stood there motionless as she kept struggling with sleep and appetite. Why didn't I do anything? I could have stroked her head and comforted her by saying, ma, don't worry, everything's going to be fine. Truth be told, I didn't know if things were going to be okay. I couldn't help our mom. What kind of daughter does that make me? Sometimes I wished all this were a nightmare that I'd jolt up with the alarm going off and ma telling me I'd be late for school. Once, my third grade English teacher had asked what I feared most. I remember answering thunder, storms, and spiders. But now I'd say it's death, as well as the fear of losing someone. Just when things were being a little easy on us, unimaginable happened. Who'd be passed away? You may not know her, Mal, but she was a great person. The passed down to me, grandma's only daughter. A little ill at the morning, grasping for life in the evening and gone by night. That's what COVID does to you. Puppy was rested in her family burial ground. Guilt stabbed in the heart when I went near her. Took the time spent with her for granted. I'd never get to see the smile that bloomed on our face every year as I handed her a sorry to her need. Fled from her funeral to the woods nearby as I couldn't be receiving her lifeless face. Amal, she was so excited about you, making this nakshikantha baby quills, one of which I managed to get from a crowded bedroom. The outlines of the floral motifs on it had been embroidered in black. Fate didn't let her embroider the rest of it, but I have to. To keep you warm as you arrive in the freezing January. Because the world is a will that never stops spinning. You have to carry on what others have left. You have to fight your way through unfortunate times with trust and patience. The sun is setting among the foliage, marking the end of the last day of the year and the arrival of a new dawn of a new year. I may have lost Puppy, but I still got the hopes of meeting you soon. Your name means hope, Amal, and that is what's unique to you. You've been fooling my hopes for better times. This story doesn't end here. You don't know what's coming next in life, but never lose hope, Amal. Never. And now I would like to invite the UPU, the future director-general, Sir Klova Raskal, to give his remarks. Merci. Thank you very much. We've all been touched, not only today, but every time we get to see young people with this type of testimony, every Congress, this is something that marks the Universal Postal Congress and the Union when we have this letter-writing competition. Many things stay in our minds. Those who have attended many Congresses may recall the testimony of each of these winners. And each time the letter-writing competition brings an additional element, a dimension to our work. It's part of the DNA of our organization. It's part of the culture, bringing youth in, young people. Millions of children take part in this competition. And the IB would like to thank all member countries. Each year and year after year, they encourage, they set up the national competitions. And as you can see, and as the secretary-general was able to say, it leads to the crowning of the winners of these competitions. And it allows us here to see how young people are getting through their daily lives, the difficulties, the challenges. And we can hear what they have to say. And we need to hear their testimony. It's part of the UPU as well. And I want on behalf of the secretary-general and the International Bureau to encourage young people to continue to participate. This is something that is vital to us all. We need to see young people. They are our future. Thank you. Thank you, DDG. Now we are in the interactive stage. And I would invite any representative from Bangladesh, North Macedonia or Thailand, if they wish to make a brief statement, no more than three minutes long. I kindly ask you to speak into your microphones connected to Zoom. Yes. This is... This is Director-General of Bangladesh's Post-Mamak Sri Rajuddin is here. I'm speaking. Thank you, Chair, for giving me the floor. Honourable Ministers, Honourable Chair, Honourable Director-General and Deputy Director-General of UPU, newly elected Director-General and Deputy Director-General of UPU. Ladies and gentlemen, a very good morning to all. At the very beginning, on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh, I would like to extend my heartiest thanks to the Government of the Republic of Kodivua for hosting this Congress in Abizan amidst such a pandemic. That super arrangement, warm hospitality and cordial reception is commendable. I also express my profound gratitude to the UPU officials for their unforgettable cooperation in making this Congress a huge success. I'd like to thank sincerely Mr. Bishar Hussein, Director-General of UPU and Mr. Pascal Plibez, Deputy Director-General of UPU for their hard work and dedication and untiring efforts towards the UPU as well as its member countries in the last nine years. I wish them every success in the days to come. I would avail this opportunity to express my felicitation to Mr. Matoki and Mr. Marzan for winning the mandate to run the UPU as a new DG and a new DDG for the next four years. We are fully sanguine that their able leadership will push in a new era for the global postal arena. Last but not least, I would like to congratulate all the newly elected members of the Council of Administration and the Postal Operations Council. Congratulations are also due to United Arab Emirates for their hosting the 28th Universal Postal Congress in 2025. Excellency ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed honour and privilege for me to deliver speech on the occasion of winning the 50th International Letter Writing Competition by a Bangladeshi girl, Ms. Nubia Islam. I find the letter written by her extremely uplifting and thought-provoking. I congratulate her on her excellent achievement. The 50th International Letter Writing Competition is an opportunity for the children to tell the world about their experience in this momentous month and to remind everyone, high literacy is so very important for child's future. This year's competition is a moment in history as this competition in celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021. Bangladesh Post also organises letter writing competition every year that plays a vital role in forming as well as enhancing the habit of letter writing among the young people. Participants are encouraged to express their creativity and refine their language skills in the form of a letter. Distinguished delegates, we are living in an era of fourth industrial revolution which embodies advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, generating engineering, quantum computing and more. It is undeniable the fact that the volume of personal letters is decreasing day by day with the rapid pace of digitisation. However, the eternal appeal of writing a letter has reminded the same as it had been before. The International Letter Writing Competition helps young people develop their skills in composing and foster their enjoyment of their writing. It is also excellent way of making young people aware of the important role postal services play in the society, a role that has become even more noteworthy during the global pandemic. Distinguished guests, Bangladesh would like to express their sincere thanks and profound gratitude to the member countries of the EU for keeping their faith once again on us with your unequivocal support. Bangladesh has been elected to the CA for the seventh time. Rest assured, we would spare no pains to prove ourselves worthy and your trust and support. Thank you all for a patience hearing and I wish you a safe return to him. Thank you. And that completes the announcement. Thank you very much.