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About us

EMS Global Delivery Network

EMS is an international postal Express Mail Service, for documents and merchandise, offered by postal operators of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) connecting 175 countries and territories worldwide.

  • A priority express service - EMS takes priority over other postal services.
  • Convenient - the EMS global network has the most customer access points in the world based on Post Office counters.
  • Largest delivery network worldwide - EMS postal operators have the largest last mile coverage worldwide supported by the postal delivery network to reach every business and citizen in the world.

EMS - Express Mail Service - the fastest cross-border postal product

EMS Cooperative 20th Anniversary video
Video on the EMS Cooperative on its 20th Anniversary

The role of the EMS Cooperative

The EMS Cooperative is a body of the Universal Postal Union with more than 170 member countries who work together to provide EMS – Express Mail Service – the fastest cross-border postal product. The EMS Cooperative promotes cooperation between its member posts to provide customers with a high quality, competitive Express Mail Service (EMS) worldwide.

The EMS Cooperative is structured around three management bodies:

  • the General Assembly, composed of all members of the EMS Cooperative,
  • the EMS Cooperative Board, composed of nine elected ad personam members, and
  • the EMS Unit, the executive arm of the Cooperative, which is based at the International Bureau of the UPU.

The UPU is an inter-governmental organization and the primary forum for cooperation between governments, Posts and other stakeholders of the worldwide postal sector. It works to maintain the universal network, establish the rules for international mail exchange among its 192 members and improves the quality of service for customers.

EMS Cooperative projects and activities

Since 1999, the EMS Cooperative has developed a number of initiatives assisting members to improve their EMS service for international express customers worldwide, including:

  • Audit and Measurement programme - measuring the performance of EMS operators worldwide.
  • EMS Pay-for-performance - to drive performance improvements EMS Pay-for-performance links payment for delivery of EMS items to the quality of service performed. 
  • EMS Performance Awards - on the basis of the Audit and Measurement Programme results, EMS Cooperative members that achieve high levels of delivery performance are recognized by Gold, Silver and Bronze EMS Performance Awards.
  • Customer Service System - an online system for postal operators, provides an efficient and effective means of communication to improve EMS call centre service to customers.
  • EMS Customer Care Awards recognize high quality replies and requests sent through the Customer Service System.
  • Online resources - EMS Cooperative members can access the full EMS Cooperative website, the EMS Operational Guide online database and EMS SMART and i-Care tools. Members can also access eLearning materials.

To help members improve their quality of service the Cooperative delivers a programme of training and events including

  • EMS Global Workshops and the annual EMS Cooperative General Assembly
  • EMS Symposiums for Senior Management
  • Regional training
  • Online eLearning
  • Topic-based training, such as EMS Pay-for-performance or reports workshops
  • Individual operator performance reviews.