Co-Chairs visit to Sydney APG Secretariat Office
The APG Secretariat welcomed Co-Chairs, Deputy Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs Mitsutoshi Kajikawa (Japan) and Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney (Australia), as well as colleagues from the Ministry of Finance (Japan) to the Sydney office on 7 April 2025.
APG Co-Chair Mitsutoshi Kajikawa, who stopped in Sydney on his way to Fiji for a high-level visit, officially opened the Secretariat’s new office with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Co-Chairs were briefed on the construction works, fit-out progress, and layout for the new office which is expected to be completed in June 2025.
The visit provided the Co-Chairs with the opportunity to address APG Secretariat staff on expectations and key activities. Co-Chair Ian McCartney expressed his support for Secretariat’s three-stage reform actions, while Co-Chair Mitsutoshi Kajikawa encouraged the APG Secretariat to lead by example in maintaining an open and inclusive culture and promoting greater diversity as a FSRB – with a particular focus on enabling the Secretariat to welcome secondees. Key take-aways from the recent planning session attended by all Secretariat staff were shared with the Co-Chairs and Secretariat staff reported on the progress of current projects. Regional assessor workforce training, proposals to assist smaller jurisdictions, and efforts to enhance information sharing were also discussed.
Colleagues from the Ministry of Finance (Japan) also shared their plans for hosting the 2025 APG Annual Meeting and implementing the Co-Chairs’ Priorities.
