Lao PDR joined the APO as the 19th member in 2002. It designated the SME Promotion and Development Office (SMEPDO) as the country’s NPO under Decree No. 66/PM of the Prime Minister’s Office dated 5 February 2007. SMEPDO operates under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and its main objective is to promote the establishment and sustainable development of SMEs. The current head of SMEDPO/LNPO is Director General Somdy Inmyxai, who is also the Chair of the APO Governing Body for 2011. Lao PDR will host the 52nd Workshop Meeting of Heads of NPOs, 18–20 October 2011, in Vientiane.