Collaboration shapes the future direction of EMS

All EMS Cooperative members share a common vision of continuous improvement of the EMS network to benefit customers worldwide. The first General Assembly of 2025 provided an opportunity for members to come together to reflect on EMS and be part of shaping its future direction.

Opening the meeting, UPU Deputy Director General, Marjan Osvald, emphasized the need to recover and grow EMS volumes by prioritizing service quality and speed and to leverage all EMS Cooperative tools. He stressed the importance of working together to ‘strengthen the EMS network’s competitiveness through operational excellence.’

This is a crucial moment as the EMS Cooperative shapes its future direction through the next EMS Strategic Plan. The draft plan approved at the General Assembly highlights the importance of a reliable, high-quality, and standardized EMS service worldwide which is aligned with evolving market dynamics and customer expectations. To stay competitive the service must continue to evolve. The General Assembly provided members with an opportunity to offer feedback on the draft Strategic Plan and several other initiatives proposed by the Board. The plan will be fine-tuned considering members’ inputs and be endorsed at its second General Assembly in Dubai in September 2025. 

Over the two-day meeting, members also explored the latest innovations in SMART and i-Care, designed to enhance support for members and help drive performance improvement. To further assist operators, EMS trends and market intelligence were shared. Members at the meeting approved the 2024 and 2025 budgets, the work plan for 2025 and the general progress of the EMS Cooperative and its ongoing projects.

One of the key strengths of the EMS Cooperative is the shared vision and active participation of members. Collaboration is essential to drive EMS forward, and the engagement of members plays a fundamental role in its future success. All member feedback from the General Assembly has been recorded and will help guide the Board and the UPU International Bureau in advancing future initiatives. This process begins with an extraordinary Board meeting in early March, where insights gathered from the General Assembly will be reviewed and acted upon.

EMS report to the Postal Operations Council
On 20 February, Mr Nabil Bensissaid, the Chair of the Board presented the 'EMS Cooperative report for 2024' at the Postal Operations Council (POC) Plenary. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with appreciation expressed for EMS Cooperative’s efforts to enhance its competitiveness and support business recovery. Members welcomed the new Board initiatives, recognizing them as important first steps that can be further refined to meet market needs. The Chair acknowledged all feedback and support.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas. These were significant meetings that will help to shape the future direction of EMS, reinforcing our collective commitment to meeting ever-evolving customer and industry expectations.