Celebrating EMS: 20 years of excellence

EMS Cooperative members came together in March in Berne for a very special celebration of 20 years since the founding of the EMS Cooperative.

Thanks to efforts from members, volume growth of the EMS network has increased by more than 150%, proof that today EMS is commercially and strategically important for postal operators and their customers. The events in Berne were also a chance to look to the future. Key to the EMS Cooperative’s success has been its innovation so discussions also looked to the vision of the service over the next 20 years.

The importance of EMS was underlined by members that came to EMS headquarters in Berne to celebrate the achievements of the EMS Cooperative, including presentations from chief executives from Brazil Post, Cayman Islands Post, and China Post.

EMS awards recognise and reward outstanding EMS service and at a special ceremony successful postal operators received EMS performance awards and EMS customer care awards from the UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein and EMS Cooperative Board Chair Patrick Richon.

Members at the General Assembly were also first to view a new video celebrating the achievements of the EMS Cooperative (below).

Mr. Hussein opened a special reception with a speech on the achievements of the EMS Cooperative. He said, “EMS Cooperative members generated EMS export growth of over 20% during the Doha business cycle and during the first two years of the Istanbul business cycle EMS export volume is already trending 30% higher this cycle, compared with the first two years of the previous cycle.” Mr. Hussein added that the UPU will wholeheartedly support the EMS Cooperative to ensure that the growth over the next 20 years is as exciting as the previous two decades.

After the opening speeches, Mr. Hussein handed awards to the winners of the EMS photo contest, ‘EMS connecting the world’. First place went to Vanuatu, followed by joint second place for Georgia and Latvia. Third place went to Viet Nam.

The UPU Deputy Director General Pascal Clivaz and Chairman of the EMS Cooperative Board, Patrick Richon also unveiled a commemorative stamp celebrating the EMS Cooperative’s 20th anniversary. The commemorative stamp will be issued this year on 10 September, the exact date of the founding of the EMS Cooperative. To date, 21 countries have agreed to issue the stamp with others likely to follow later.

This high-profile event celebrated the achievements of members but the real proof of the success has been the value created for global customers over the lifetime of the EMS Cooperative, collectively generating more than US$2.4 billion in annual business for its members and growing strong.