The APO Accreditation Body (AB) and Mongolian Productivity Organization organized the 5th APO AB Council meeting, 15–16 March, in Ulaanbaatar. The face-to-face meeting held after three years of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was attended by the newly appointed APO-AB Council members for 2023–25 and representatives of two members. The new APO-AB Council consists of members from professional certification bodies (CBs), government ministries and agencies, NPOs, and academia from Bangladesh, the ROC, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, and Vietnam.

APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata (4th L) and APO Director for Mongolia Yamaaranz Erkhembayar (3rd R) with APO-AB Council Members and representatives in Ulaanbaatar.

The council meeting emphasized strengthening the APO-AB accreditation system and certification schemes for harmonization and to provide greater benefit to APO CBs. The progress of the APO-AB was reviewed, with recommendations on improving its management, and important aspects to promote APO-accredited CBs and establish mutual recognition agreements among APO members were discussed.