Twenty-one Liaison Officers (LOs) and representatives from APO members gathered in Tokyo, 14–16 February, for the biennial APO Liaison Officers’ Meeting (LOM). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first time that the LOM has been held face-to-face since 2019, and the Secretariat and delegates welcomed the return of the traditional format after three years of conducting it virtually.

APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata gave the opening remarks, welcoming delegates and emphasizing the importance of strengthening partnerships by stating, “As screen-based interactions dominated our work during the pandemic, we should not forget to invest our time in maintaining personal relationships among us.” The APO LOM is a vital platform for enhancing the synergy between the Secretariat and LOs in delivering APO projects and services to members. This year’s LOM will continue to address the necessity for LO capacity development to ensure smooth implementation of APO activities.

With new LOs joining this meeting in person for the first time, the day 1 agenda began with an overview of their critical roles. The morning session continued with the sharing of activities for promoting the APO Vision 2025 and the impact of and learning from the pandemic on program development. Presentations and discussions on the implementation of 2023 multicountry and in-country projects comprised the afternoon session.