The Universal Postal Union (UPU) announced today that it was joining forces with Ian Kerr, the founder of the Postal Hub Podcast, to produce a monthly podcast called Voice Mail.

Each episode of the UPU's Voice Mail offers a unique postal story from around the world. The podcast aims to speak to the people who deliver the mail, the decision-makers influencing the sector, and those who work so hard behind the scenes to help things move from A to B.

Using personal reflections, anecdotes and insights, Voice Mail looks at how the postal sector forms an essential part of the multilateral relations between countries, as well as the United Nations and its efforts to support sustainable development.

Voice Mail's first episode tells the story behind the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine. Thomas Ellmann, Vice-President, Life Sciences and Healthcare at Deutsche Post DHL Group discusses how the group supports distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the sheer magnitude of this global effort.

Ellmann describes the technology and infrastructure developed specifically for distributing the coronavirus vaccine, including the need to ensure extremely low temperatures for some vaccines.

"Voice Mail is a podcast that goes behind this vast infrastructure that spans the world and employs millions of people in every country to find the hidden stories explaining how this network touches all our lives." said, David Dadge, UPU's Programme Manager for Communication and Events.

Ian Kerr is an experienced podcaster and the founder and host of the Postal Hub Podcast. He has a profound knowledge of the post and for many years worked for the Australian Postal Network. Kerr has contributed articles to Postal Technology International and Mail & Express Review.

"The global postal network has helped us stay connected during the pandemic. And now the delivery sector is at the forefront of distributing vaccines," said Kerr. "There are so many stories that show how important the postal sector is to communities. Posties and post offices are everywhere, and are part of society's fabric. I'm looking forward to sharing more postal stories in future episodes of Voice Mail," he added.

Voice Mail is now on Spotify, Podbean and other podcast hosting services.

The Universal Postal Union is a UN specialized agency with its headquarters in the Swiss capital Berne. Established in 1874, it is one of the world's oldest international organizations and is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players.