ASEAN: Harmonizing Labor Standards for Global Integration

Global Labor Standards: their impact and implementation

This paper reviews the critical issues concerning the establishment of a global system of labor standards. Global labor standards have gained a renewed prominence in policy debates with the rise of the new international division of labor, in which developing countries are producing an ever-increasing share of the world’s manufactured exports. This paper takes a close look at the research and th...

The race to China and implications for global labor standards.

ASEAN integration and health services

I t seems to be an exciting moment for the ASEAN countries to enter the era of the ASEAN Community. For the ASEAN 600 million people (8.6% of the World population), this regional initiative is expected to bring about economic prosperity and development in socio-cultural well-being of the people. However, development policies do not always complement one another as we promote economic growth and...

Disasters, resilience, and the ASEAN integration

T he recent havoc caused by typhoon Haiyan in central Philippines provides an example of the grim reality of the impact of disasters in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. This is personal to me as many of my relatives and friends died and many more had their properties all washed away. You see, I was born in Tacloban and grew up in the city. It pained me to see my 87-ye...

Trade AND Labor Standards