Dr AKP Mochtan has assumed the post of Secretary-General of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) after being elected at the 61st Session of the Governing Body.
The APO membership includes Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Dr Mochtan served as Deputy Secretary-General of Asean, from August 2013 until August 2019, where he oversaw the key organisational functions of finance and budget, human resources, administration, information technology, security and protocol, legal affairs, as well as community relations and outreach functions.
Prior to that, he was the Director of the Japan–ASEAN Integration Fund Management Team headquartered in Jakarta, November 2011–August 2013, said APO on Monday.
Secretary-General Mochtan has had a long association with the APO, headquartered in Tokyo.
He held several positions in the Secretariat, including Information & Public Relations Officer; Programme Officer, Research & Planning Department; Senior Program Officer, Industry Department; and Director, Administration & Finance Department.
He has also worked under the UN Development Programme, Jakarta Office; UN University, Tokyo; and UN Transitional Authority, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
APO Secretary-General Dr Mochtan said he is pleased to come back to the APO to serve member economies as the 12th Secretary-General.
The APO has an illustrious history of 58 years and 2021 is going to be its 60th anniversary. However, productivity gaps in the region remain visible, and new issues are emerging, he said.“It’s imperative that we prioritise and renew the productivity movement so that the APO remains relevant,” said the new Secretary-General.
Dr Mochtan said his focus was the “centrality of productivity,” and listed six key points: Strengthening of partnerships; elevating the standards of the APO; attaining higher visibility and raising the profile of the APO; upgrading national productivity organizations; inviting more strategic partners to join collaborative efforts; and spreading the productivity movement beyond existing members.
He added that reform of the APO Secretariat was also necessary to reinforce the renewal of the productivity movement.
