30 January 2024—The 53rd Steering Committee meeting was held online and attended by elected national Focal Points from three subregions of APN, Co-Chairpersons of the Scientific Planning Group and representatives of donor countries.

The meeting commenced with opening remarks by Dr Douglas Hill, national Focal Point for New Zealand and Chairperson of the Steering Committee, and Mr Ryuji Tomisaka, Director of the Secretariat. The Steering Committee reviewed action points from the previous meeting and approved a report from the Secretariat on recent activities and budget status. The Committee also discussed subregional cooperation activities, approved the next steps regarding strategic development and agreed to reconvene to complete pending tasks required for the mid-term evaluation report of the 5th Strategic Phase of APN.

Finally, it has been announced that the 26th Joint Intergovernmental Meeting and Scientific Planning Group and associated meetings will take place in June 2024 in Jakarta, Indonesia. These consecutive meetings will mark the first occasion where all APN members will gather since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.