Council members with APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata and Nantaphorn Aungatichart, Director of the Strategy and Organizational Development Division, FTPI (standing, left)

The 7th APO Accreditation Body (APO-AB) Council Meeting convened on 10–11 February 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing together council members and technical advisors to advance accreditation initiatives. Organized by the APO Secretariat and hosted by the Thailand Productivity Institute (FTPI), the meeting opened with remarks from Nantaphorn Aungatichart, Director of the Strategy and Organizational Development Division, FTPI, who highlighted the importance of strengthening the network of certification bodies (CBs) in member economies.

The APO-AB Secretariat reported to the council members on the progress of the Certification Body Development Program, which is one of the main activities of the Accreditation and Certification Program. In the meeting, the APO-AB’s current developments were shared, and it was noted that nine CBs have been accredited to date and four member economies are actively engaged in CB development projects with accreditation expected in 2025. A wide range of topics were covered, including the impartiality of CBs, the standardization of CB certificates, CB promotion through APO alumni, the development of the CB assessor pool, and the report from the Workshop Meeting of Heads of APO CBs. Other discussion topics included enhancing the visibility of the APO-AB and CBs, the value of being accredited by the APO, the potential benefits of AI for ongoing accreditation activities, and the potential for AI- and climate-related themes to initiate new productivity specialist schemes. The meeting concluded successfully, with attendees actively contributing insights and feedback based on their expertise and experiences in their respective economies.