65TH Workshop Meeting of Heads of NPOS of APO (WSM)

Post date: Thursday, Oct 31, 2024 | 11:35 - View count: 445

The 65th Workshop Meeting (WSM) of Heads of National Productivity Organizations (NPOs) commenced on 23 October in Nadi, Fiji, providing a valuable platform for advancing productivity and sustainability across Asia and the Pacific. This annual three-day meeting brought together 51 NPO Heads, advisers, and productivity leaders from 19 APO members, including seven Permanent Secretaries from the Government of Fiji. Generously hosted by the Government of Fiji, the local cultural richness and commitment to sustainable development set a fitting backdrop for this year’s discussions.

This is one of the two important annual meetings of APO held annually, along with the APO Governing Body Meeting. The meeting was graced by the Guest of Honor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications Manoa Kamikamica and Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Agni Deo Singh.

Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Director of Vietnam National Productivity Institute, Head of NPO Vietnam, is the head of the Vietnamese delegation attending the meeting.

During the inaugural session, APO Chair 2024–25 and APO Director for Fiji Jone Maritino Nemani extended a warm welcome to the distinguished delegates.

A highlight of the inaugural session was the launch of Green Productivity (GP) 2.0, introduced through a special presentation by Professor Yoichiro Matsumoto, Science and Technology Advisor to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Member of the GP Advisory Council. Prof. Matsumoto emphasized the evolution and importance of GP 2.0, aligning it with global sustainability goals, such as the UN SDGs and net-zero emissions by 2050. He outlined the GP 2.0 ecosystem and Project Bank aimed to expand the initiative’s impact across multiple sectors  and underscored the synergy between GP 2.0 and Japan’s Green Growth Strategy, particularly in promoting innovation and the circular economy.

Previously, from late 2022 to early 2024, a Technical Working Group (TWG), comprising members from Taiwan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, was tasked with developing approaches and roadmaps for GP 2.0. Vietnam was represented in the TWG by Dr. Ha Minh Hiep, Acting Director General of the Commission for Standards, Metrology and Quality of Vietnam, APO Director of Vietnam. The TWG collaborated with GP experts to identify approaches, along with corresponding supporting elements, technologies, and methodologies, to develop a roadmap for GP 2.0 activities.

In addition, the meeting discussed and evaluated the results of implementing programs and projects in 2024, reaching consensus on programs and projects to be implemented in 2025 and 2026 in line with the direction of APO’s Post-2025 Vision, focusing on integrating GP and AI into productivity initiatives.

The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is an international, intergovernmental, non-profit organization established on May 11, 1961. With 21 member economies, APO is the only organization in the Asia-Pacific region that has many activities implemented in member economies to improve productivity, contributing to promoting sustainable socio-economic development of the region. Currently, 8 out of 10 ASEAN countries are members of APO (except Myanmar and Brunei).

With the permission of the Prime Minister, Vietnam officially became a member of APO from January 1, 1996. The Commission for Standards, Metrology and Quality (Ministry of Science and Technology) is authorized to be the permanent representative of Vietnam at APO and the focal point for organizing the implementation of APO programs and projects, bilateral projects with APO member national productivity organizations (NPO).