AKIPRESS.COM - The Asian Productivity Organization (APO)  concluded  the 65th Session of the Governing Body (GBM) in Ulaanbaatar on May 24–26. 44 APO Directors, Alternate Directors, and Advisers from 19 members gathered to review and deliberate on the organization's progress, strategic directions, policies, and programs. Two Observers, the President of the Pan-Africa Productivity Association (PAPA) and President of the Kazakhstan Productivity Center, also attended.

The inaugural session opened on May 24 with a cultural performance, after which APO Director for Mongolia and 65th GBM host Yamaaranz Erkhembayar warmly welcomed the delegates in his opening remarks.

Guest of Honor, Vice Chief Cabinet Secretary of the government of Mongolia H.E. Byambasuren Urgamal gave the inaugural address, noting the timeliness of hosting the GBM and the role of public-sector productivity in Mongolia. He emphasized its importance for the sustainable socioeconomic growth of any nation and looked forward to greater progress in Mongolia's productivity growth with support from the APO.

Highlights of the Plenary Session included the election the new APO Chair and Vice Chairs. Incoming Chair, APO Director for the ROC Sheng-Hsiung Hsu, who is taking this role for the second term in his more than 20 years of experience as an APO Director, looked forward to working closely with the Vice Chairs, Acting APO Director for Fiji Tomasi Kama and Alternate Director for India Sundeep Kumar Nayak. APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra also reported on the documents for adoption, proposals for endorsement, and program progress.

On the second day, two guest speakers, Economic Policy Advisor to the President of Mongolia Davaadalai Batsur and Director of the Japanese National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Development Strategy Center Satoshi Morita, were invited to give special presentations on boosting productivity growth in Mongolia and the new APO Center of Excellence on Climate-smart Agriculture. Presentations on policy directives submitted by APO members and the adoption of the Summary Record of Proceedings and Decisions for Day 1 followed.