25th Anniversary of Asian Productivity Organization (APO) (1986-4)

Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is an inter-governmental regional organization established in 1961 by several governments in Asia for enhancing their economic development.
The overall objectives of the APO are:-
a) Fostering mutual help.
b) Dissemination of knowledge.
c) Augmenting the national Productivity Organizations’ activities in the member countries.
d) Stimulation of productivity movement in the entire Asian region.
2. APO membership is open to all Asian countries who are members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Governments out-side the Asian Region may also become associate members of APO. At present 17 Asian countries are members of the APO.
3. The Agency holds conferences, symposia, seminars, sends out-side missions, offers services of technical experts, handles technical enquiries, conducts training courses, provides fellow-ships, gives faculty support to seminars in symposia in member countries, undertakes research and maintains statistical data and other relevant information on the activities of the National Productivity Organization in the member countries.
The sources of APO finance are:-
a) External assistance.
b) Special grants by member countries and international agencies.
c) Membership contribution fee.
d) Miscellaneous APO income.
4. The secretariat, headed by the Secretary General, is the executive arm of the governing body and is located in Tokyo, Japan. It functions in four divisions, viz., Research Planning, Industry, Agriculture, and Administration & Public Relations. The professional staff of the Secretariat are drawn from qualified persons amongst member countries.
5. A unique feature of the APO is its close relationship with the National Productivity Organizations (NPOs) which serve as focal points of productivity activities in the respective member countries. The heads of NPOs hold workshop meetings once a’year to exchange experiences, to review and work out APO’s long-term plans through the rolling five year plan for recommendation to the governing body. In a way, the workshop meeting of NPO heads, together with the Secretariat, serves as a planning committee for the governing body.
6. The APO is in regular contact with various international organizations and is in close co-ordination with such UN agencies as ESCAP, FAO, UNIDO. It enjoys consultative status on the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and is on the board of the ILO Training Centre in Turin, Italy. Staff members of UN agencies, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, etc. are often invited to take part in APO symposia and other projects of mutual interest whereas the APO is also represented at important meetings of these organizations.
7. Pakistan is a founder member of the APO and has been actively participating in all the programmes organized by it in the field of industry & agriculture.
To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Asian Productivity Organization, Pakistan Post Office is issuing one postage stamp of Re. 1/-value on May 11,1986.