TOKYO, JAPAN - Media OutReach - 30 September 2019 - The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) announcedthat Dr. AKP Mochtan had assumed the post of APO Secretary-General on 16September 2019 after being elected atthe 61st Session of the Governing Body in April 2019 in Manila, thePhilippines.

APO Secretary-General Dr. AKP Mochtan

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Dr.Mochtan served as Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, from August 2013 untilAugust 2019, where he oversaw the key organizational functions of finance andbudget, human resources, administration, information technology, security andprotocol, legal affairs, as well as community relations and outreach functions.Prior to that, he was Director of the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund ManagementTeam headquartered in Jakarta, November 2011-August 2013.

Secretary-GeneralMochtan has had a long association with the APO. He held several positions inthe Secretariat, including: Information & Public Relations Officer; ProgramOfficer, Research & Planning Department; Senior Program Officer, IndustryDepartment; and Director, Administration & Finance Department. He has alsoworked under the UN Development Programme, Jakarta Office; UN University,Tokyo; and UN Transitional Authority, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

 "I am pleased to come back to the APO toserve member economies as the 12th Secretary-General. The APO has anillustrious history of 58 years and 2021 is going to be its 60th anniversary.However, productivity gaps in the region remain visible, and new issues areemerging. It is imperative that we prioritize and renew the productivitymovement so that the APO remains relevant," commented the newSecretary-General.

Secretary-General Dr. Mochtan said thathis focus was the "centrality of productivity," and listed six key points:strengthening of partnerships; elevating the standards of the APO; attaininghigher visibility and raising the profile of the APO; upgrading nationalproductivity organizations; inviting more strategic partners to joincollaborative efforts; and spreading the productivity movement beyond existingmembers. He added that reform of the APO Secretariat was also necessary toreinforce the renewal of the productivity movement.

Afterreceiving an MA in International Relations from the International University ofJapan, Urasa, the Secretary-General was conferred a PhD in Philosophy fromInternational Christian University Graduate School of Public Administration,Tokyo. His undergraduate degree was in Sociology from the Faculty of Social andPolitical Sciences, University of Indonesia, Jakarta.

Duringhis education, Dr. Mochtan was the recipient of a PhD dissertation fellowshipfrom the Japan Foundation and a scholarship from the Ministry of Education,Science & Culture of Japan. He completed an executive management trainingcourse offered by Rights Management Japan in Tokyo; a Global War Games courseat the US Naval War College in Rhode Island; and the Peacekeeping TrainingCourse of the Joint Warfare Center, Royal Australian Airforce, New South Wales.He also filled academic appointments at the Centre for Strategic andInternational Studies and the Graduate School of International Relations,University of Indonesia, Jakarta.

About the APO

The AsianProductivity Organization (APO) is an intergovernmental organization committedto improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1961, theAPO contributes to the sustainable socioeconomic development of the regionthrough policy advisory services, acting as a think tank, and undertaking smartinitiatives in the industry, agriculture, service, and public sectors. The APOis shaping the future of the region by assisting member economies informulating national strategies for enhanced productivity and through a rangeof institutional capacity-building efforts, including research and centers ofexcellence in member countries.

The current APOmembers are: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India,Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR,Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka,Thailand, and Vietnam.