Association Of Southeast Asian Nations Member Research Articles

India’s Economic Integration in Services with ASEAN: From Bilateral FTAs to RCEP

Given the growing importance of services in Indian economy as well as in international trade, India has offensive interests in services and these are becoming an important part of India’s effort to economically integrate with global economies including Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This article analyses India’s economic integration with the ASEAN region in services trade and discusses how India’s services trade interests are taken into consideration by ASEAN members in their free trade agreements with India. It also discusses services-related aspects in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, a proposed free trade agreement among ASEAN and its six FTA partners including India, from which India has decided to opt-out recently. JEL Codes: F13, F14, F15

Business and Human Rights in ASEAN: Lessons from the Palm Oil Sector in Malaysia

The release of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011 aims to address gaps in human rights governance by setting a standard and corporate culture of respecting human rights. As part of the state responsibility to implement these guiding principles, some member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have already embarked preliminary steps towards establishing their respective National Action Plan on Business and Human rights (NAPBHR), while others are still lag behind. This article describes current development on business and human rights in the region. Drawing from the palm oil sector’s experience in Malaysia, this study aims to provide lessons for ASEAN member states to contemplate when developing their NAPBHR. In this article, I argue that while some large palm oil companies have shown modest progress in realizing their human rights obligation, challenges emerge in many forms including the lack of leadership, collaboration and ambition to steer and scale up industry transformation on human rights across supply chain. Equally important, challenges around certification scheme depict that it is not the only solution in persuading respect to human rights. Meaningful values transfer often overlooked in certification practice resulting in typical "ticking the audit box" exercise without understanding principles behind it. As such, the development of NAPBHR among the ASEAN member states should reflect on these reality and challenges.

Comparative Study of Tax Services in ASEAN Countries

This is a qualitative study analyzing tax services in ASEAN countries. As is known that for developing countries including some ASEAN countries, taxes are still a source of state income. So the state government issues special rules on taxation in regulating citizens' tax rights and obligations, including several rules regarding tax services. Some studies concluded that state revenues from taxes depend on the level of taxpayer compliance, and taxpayer compliance is more or less influenced by tax services that taxpayers can use to fulfill their tax rights and obligations. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in 1967 with 5 member countries at the beginning, until now the number of members reaches 10 countries. Although often called a cognate country, taxation policy is the authority of each State Government. So that the tax policy in one country is not certain the same as the other countries, including the tax services provided. This study found that majority of ASEAN countries use self-assessment system for tax procedure except Singapore. Tax services including tax identity registration, tax payment an tax reporting in each country have used technology in majority ASEAN countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, and Myanmar, while Cambodia only in tax identity number registration and tax payment services. As the new member of ASEAN, Vietnam and Lao PDR still manual in tax services for tax payer in each country like tax identity number registration, tax payment and tax reporting.

Regulation of nursing professionals in Cambodia and Vietnam: a review of the evolution and key influences

BackgroundIn 2006, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) in relation to nursing services in the region. This agreement was part of a set of policies to promote the free flow of skilled labor among ASEAN members and required mutually acceptable professional regulatory frameworks.This paper presents a narrative review of the literature to (1) describe progress in the development of the regulatory framework for nursing professionals in Cambodia and Vietnam since 2000 and (2) identify key factors, including the MRA, that affect these processes.MethodsFor document review, policy documents, laws, regulations, and published peer-reviewed and gray literature were reviewed. Data were triangulated and analyzed using a tool developed by adapting McCarthy et al.’s regulatory function framework and covering eight functions (legislation, accreditation of preservice education, competency assessment, registration and licensing system, tools and data flow of registration, scope of practice, continuing professional development, professional misconduct and disciplinary powers).ResultsCambodia and Vietnam have made remarkable progress in developing their regulatory frameworks for nursing. A number of key influences contributed to the development of nursing regulations, including the signing of the MRA in 2006 and the establishment of the Joint Coordinating Committee on Nursing (AJCCN) in 2007 as key milestones. Macroeconomic and political factors affecting the process were economic growth and an emerging private sector, social demand for quality care and professionalism, global attention to health workforce competencies, the role of development partners, and regular monitoring and mutual learning through AJCCN. A period of incubation enabled countries to develop consensus among stakeholders regarding regulatory arrangements; this trend accelerated after 2010 by bringing national regulatory schemes into conformity with the regional framework. Some similarities in the process (e.g., preservice education first, legislation later) and differences in key actors (e.g., professional councils and the capacity of nursing leaders) were observed in two countries.ConclusionFurther development of the regulatory framework will require strong nursing leadership to sustain achievements and drive continued progress. The adapted tool to assess regulatory capacity works well and may be of value in assessing the development of regulations in the nursing profession.

The Regionalism Paradox in the Fight against Human Trafficking: Indonesia and the Limits of Regional Cooperation in ASEAN

This paper examines the role of regional cooperation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the fight against human trafficking for Indonesia. ASEAN members have been collectively active in responding transnational security issues with series of talks and collaboration agreements since early 2000s. Lately in 2015, ASEAN agreed on ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, particularly Women and Children (ACTIP) that requires each member to collaborate in information sharing and providing effective safeguard and protection of victims. Yet, the frequency of human trafficking crime occurrence remains high and tend to increase in Indonesia in 2017-2018. The objective of this paper is to examine the effectiveness and success of ACTIP implementation in the fight against human trafficking in Indonesia. Based on two years research (2017-2018) in three provinces with the largest number of victims in Indonesia, this paper shows the tendency of persisting crime despite the implementation of regional and national anti-trafficking policies. The research was conducted by archive study, literature study, discourse analysis, and depth interviews with local government officials, police, prosecutors, victims, and traffickers. This paper argues that the relative success of ASEAN in establishing convention at the high-level meetings has not been followed with the success in its implementation in the society. Three main factors have contributed to the ineffectiveness of the agreements, i.e. (1) ASEAN institutional arrangement as a collection of sovereign states instead of supranational organization with binding authority; (2) the lack of commitment of ASEAN sovereign member-states to the agreements; and (3) the complexity and variety of the nature of the crime in each member-state. In effect, these factors have contributed in generating the regionalism paradox in ASEAN where states tend to revert to national policies instead of seeking regional collective solution.

The Evaluation of the World Health Organization’s Minimum Dataset in Disaster Health Management in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Introduction:The Minimum Data Set (MDS) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) has been widely used among medical practitioners in International Emergency Medical Team (I-EMT) as tools to collect health information and statistics in disaster health management. The I-EMT submits MDS to the Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell (EMTCC) for the planning of responses. The Project for Strengthening the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH Project) is the ASEAN’s project that has applied MDS to its activities with the main purpose of strengthening informational management during a disaster.Aim:The study aims to evaluate the performance of MDS after being utilized in the Regional Collaboration Drill (RCD) organized by the ARCH Project in July 2017.Methods:The performance of MDS has been evaluated by ten International Emergency Medical Team (I-EMT) of ASEAN Member States who participated in the RCD.Results:The assessment forms were returned by ten I-EMTs, and all respondents addressed several points for the revision of MDS (10/10), including the format and the content of the MDS. Concerning the format, respondents stated that the fonts are too small (3/10), and spaces for recording additional information are needed (3/10). On the other hand, the majority of respondents suggested that some of the contents within the MDS are still unclear or some terminologies are needed to be further clarified (6/10), especially with the referral form (5/10).Discussion:The current version of the MDS utilized for the EMT coordination should be edited and revised for its optimal usage. Applying MDS to disaster simulation is an efficient approach to test its application.

The Roles of ARCH Project in the Strengthening of the ASEAN Disaster Health Management

Introduction:The Project for Strengthening the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH Project) is the project under the collaborative framework between the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, Thailand, Ministry of Public Health, and Japan International Cooperation Agency. The project aims to strengthen disaster health management focusing on the International Emergency Team (I-EMT) operation and coordination in ASEAN by using various mechanisms, for example, regional collaboration meeting, regional collaboration drill, training, etc.Aim:The study aims to evaluate the outcomes which ARCH Project’s activities have been facilitating to strengthen the ASEAN disaster health management.Methods:A comparative study is utilized to see the improvement of the ASEAN disaster health management of the current situation and the project’s outputs compared to the previous survey in 2015.Results:Recent ASEAN disaster health management has been strengthened in three distinctive dimensions: (1.) national capacity of each ASEAN Member States is being strengthened through the project’s training courses; (2.) the ASEAN I-EMT coordination platforms have been set up to the extent that the progress of developing the toolkits such as the Standard Operating Procedures for the Coordination of EMT in ASEAN is at its eighty percent, while the Database of the EMT and their Minimum Requirements and Qualifications are now at its ninety percent; and (3.) Standard reporting forms (medical record and health need assessment form) for all ASEAN member state (AMS) has been developed and fully completed.Discussion:The ARCH Project has been facilitating the strengthening of the ASEAN disaster health management through its capacity building endeavors and the creation of collaborative mechanisms for operations and coordination. These activities should be maintained either under the existing or newly created mechanisms in order to build a sustainable collaborative framework.

Analysis of the features of economic relations of the European Union with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries

The object of research is the features of economic relations of the European Union and countries-members of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) union. One of the most problematic places is that European Union as a supranational institution is currently experiencing a crisis, on various levels. From economic problems beginning, especially with the so-called PIGS countries (Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain), through difficulties in concluding internal political consensus and «speaking» with one voice on the international forum, ensuring security of Europe on the eastern border.In the process of research, general scientific and special methods of cognition were used: analysis of economic processes, generalization of analyzed features of economic cooperation of the European Union and countries-members of ASEAN. The structurally-functional method has allowed to highlight the main risks and areas of the program implementation strategy for cooperation with ASEAN members. The statistical method was used in assessing and analyzing the state of trade balance between the EU and ASEAN members.In the course of the research it was identified that in the resolution of political or security difficulties, the European Community mainly depends solely on its own strength. In terms of economic matters there are a number of regions with which this closer cooperation seems to be a logical solution that may bring benefits in the near future. One of them is Southeast Asia. As a result of the research it is shown that ASEAN has been a rapidly growing organization in the region for many years and its trade potential for EU is increasing rapidly. Strengthening international cooperation on the European Union – ASEAN line may prove to be a very important alternative for European economies. In addition, such an alliance may be the basis for a broad exchange of technological and educational experience, creating the nucleus of future strategic relations.The results of research shows not fully used potential with ASEAN members’ cooperation. Abilities and areas of future cooperation of EU companies particularly and EU countries in general could be the ground for future investigations with ASEAN members.

The association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN): a galactic security community?

ABSTRACTThe term ‘security community’ refers to the development of a regional consensus of shunning war as a means of settling disputes among participant states. Assuming this basic premise of a security community, this article positions ASEAN as a unique security community by arguing that it is contingent upon the socio-cultural norms practiced in ASEAN member states’ societies. The conceptual framework of a traditional security community is inapplicable to ASEAN as it does not have any supra-national institutions which can bind its members to compliance towards regional norms. The societal norms of member states give ASEAN a regional identity consciousness that is based upon informality and a unique normative structure. The intention of this article is to deconstruct these societal or popular socio-cultural norms and examine how they influence decision making at the elite level.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and its Potential Opportunities for Sri Lanka

The emergence of regionalism and regional integration must be placed in a broader historical perspective. Regionalism became a prominent feature of world politics during the 1940s and 1950s concurring with extensive moves towards European integration. The process of regionalisation successively manifested itself through the formation of congruent regional blocs among which most important one is the European Economic Community (EEC) therefore, the concept of ‘regionalism’ had been interpreted in European sense and understanding. It is the endurance and achievement of this regional bloc that led to a surge of regionalism among developing countries in the course of time. The Regional cooperation has become increasingly important to sustainable growth and development among South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Countries in these two regions have been realising that their interaction with each other through unilateral reforms to enhance and economic efficiency, as well as via regional approaches to deepening economic integration, for example, through bilateral and regional agreements. Thus economic another sectorial integration has been an important determinant of economic success and a key ingredient in the recipe for future growth in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Regional cooperation in Asia gained momentum with the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 1985 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 1989. At present, the sub-regional groupings have become a key defining feature of Asian regionalism and BIMSTEC is one sub-regional grouping formed in 1997 for fulfilling common goals of the member states. BIMSTEC has an advantage of combining five geographically adjacent countries of SAARC with two ASEAN members and thus provides a gigantic scope for regional integration and prosperity. Sri Lanka is a member of the SAARC and has played a vital role in promoting regional economic and cultural cooperation. Even though, SAARC is sunk down mainly due to India’s ascendancy and India-Pakistan struggles. Sri Lanka believes that becoming member of ASEAN would give Sri Lanka an assurance against unwelcomed Indian Interference. The biggest gain Sri Lanka stands to benefit from an ASEAN membership is easier access to trading and investment opportunities in the region. Seeking membership of ASEAN is not an impossible task for Sri Lanka; however, it will have to think about the fact that it is geographically not a part of Southeast Asia, which is one major though not untouchable precondition - due to these dilemmas Sri Lanka strategically like to engage with other South Asian Countries. Therefore, Sri Lanka considered BIMSTEC as an opportunity to engage with the economically thriving Southeast Asian countries, especially after several failed attempts to join ASEAN in the decade prior to the establishment of BIMSTEC.

The volatility model of the ASEAN Stock Indexes

This research study examines the characteristics of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) volatility of stock indexes. The following models are used in this research: Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH), Exponential Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (EGARCH), Fractionally Integrated Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (FIGARCH), Glosten Jaganathan Runkle Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GJR-GARCH), and Multifractal Model of Asset Return (MMAR). The research also used the data from the ASEAN country members’ (the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) stock indexes for the period from January 2002 until 31 January 2016 to determine the suitable model.Meanwhile, the results of the MMAR parameter showed that the returns of the countries have a characteristic called long-term memory. The authors found that the scaling exponents are associated with the characteristics of the specific markets including the ASEAN member countries and can be used to differentiate markets in their stage of development. Finally, the simulated data are compared with the original data by scaling function where most of the stock markets of the selected ASEAN countries have long-term memory with the scaling behavior of information asymmetry. Some of the countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia have their own alternative models using GARCH and EGARCH due to the possibility of leverage. Generally, MMAR is the best model for use in ASEAN market, because this model considered Hurst exponent as a parameter of long-term memory that indicates persistent behavior.

Incidence and Mortality of Cancers Related to Secondhand Smoking in Southeast Asia Countries

Background:Secondhand smoke has been a big problem for human being worldwide as it is well-established risk factors for cancers. ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) bear high burden of cancers since the high prevalence of secondhand smoke. The objective of this study is to estimate the burden of cancer attributable to secondhand smoking in ASEAN.Methods:This research was using descriptive epidemiological incidence and prevalence-based research design, with cancers incidence and mortality data gained from GLOBOCAN 2012. Secondhand smoke attributable fractions (SAFs) of six cancers (lung, bladder, colorectal, stomach, pancreas and larynx) were estimated and burden of cancers caused by secondhand smoking in ASEAN were calculated in term of incidence and mortality.Results:Secondhand smoking estimated for 453,562 cancer cases and 323,284 of total cancer mortality in 2012. The number of incidence and death of lung cancer attributable to secondhand smoking show the highest number compared with other type of cancers. Furthermore, we found that the number of cancer cases and cancer deaths attributable to secondhand smoking varied by each countries due to differences in size of population, various background risk of the cancer, and prevalence of secondhand smoking in each country.Conclusion:Secondhand smoking has been a risk factor for about two-fifth of cancer incidence and mortality in ASEAN. Therefore, ASEAN member countries are strongly encouraged to put in place stronger tobacco control policies and to strengthen the existing tobacco control measure in order to decrease the number of secondhand smokers and more effectively control cancers.

Higher Education Role in Supporting Indonesian Government Policy in Developing Renewable Energy

Indonesia is a country blessed with natural resources potential to be utilized as the renewable energy. Actions should be taken to improve renewable energy based power generation due to the diminishing of conventional fossil fuel and its significant effects on global warming and environmental destruction. Indonesia needs a particular strategy to be able to reach the target of renewable energy utilization by 2025 and 2050. In term of energy consumption, Indonesia is one of the fastest growing countries due to its robust economic development, increasing urbanization and steady population growth. Indonesia uses 40% of the total energy in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member. Between 2000 and 2014, energy consumption in Indonesia increased by around 65% and is predicted to reach 80% in 2030. This high demand for energy can be fulfilled if all the sectors in Indonesia are hand in hand reaching the targeted goal of renewable energy share. Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya as a higher education institution should play an active role in supporting government policy in developing renewable energy. This paper discusses POLSRI roles in supporting this policy to develop renewable energy in Palembang and South Sumatra. The literature data is collected from various sources discussing the energy policies of renewable energy. The objectives of this study are to provide the renewable energy development strategies in Indonesia, especially to achieve the target of 23% renewable energy mix in 2025 and 31% in 2050 from the final energy mix following the national energy policy (Government Regulation No.79 of 2014) primarily from the power generation sector.

Ukraine-Malaysia Relations: Priorities and Machinery

The article analyses the trends and developments in Ukraine-Malaysia relations since their establishment in 1992. During the contemporary period, the economic, cultural, tourism links and other aspects of bilateral relations have expanded. There is plenty of scope for trade to continue growing. In fact, Ukrainian-Malaysian relations are complex, multifaceted, and have significant potential for further development. Ukraine sees Malaysia as an important and stable partner in Southeast Asia, a leading member of ASEAN and a moderate representative of the Islamic world. Both being UN members, Ukraine and Malaysia share a common perspective on a broad range of regional and global issues. This is followed by a whole complex of Malaysian issues, namely foreign, domestic, security policies, regional cooperation and others. The article also assesses the contemporary trends in and prospects for Malaysian multilateral ties by identifying the changing dynamics that have brought a qualitative shift in Malaysia’s relationships with the US, China, and Japan. Conclusions have been made on the enhancement of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The author concludes that the relations with Malaysia should be focused on the further intensification of political dialogue, maintenance of economic cooperation with Malaysian partners, search for opportunities for industrial and investment cooperation, taking into account national interests, as well as securing main lines of sectoral cooperation and developing cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The issue of expanding the legal framework of bilateral relations with Malaysia remains relevant. Therefore, today there is a need to elaborate a new format of relations between Ukraine and Malaysia. Keywords: Ukraine, Malaysia, Southeast Asian countries, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), foreign policy, diplomatic relations, security, regional cooperation, newly-industrialized countries, ‘second wave’, infrastructure.

Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity: assessing growth impacts and interdependencies

The ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have quietly but steadily been taking steps to deepen economic linkages with the region. A milestone was reached in 2015 with the adoption of a blueprint on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) which came into force in 2016. As increased intra-regional connectivity is central to the realisation of the AEC, in October 2010, the ASEAN member states adopted the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC), the regional blueprint for improved physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity. This paper offers an empirical examination of the economic impact of the MPAC on the ASEAN region's growth. An individual country-based trend analysis shows very little effect of MPAC. A structural VAR analysis that accounts for both direct and indirect effects also shows that the impact of MPAC has hitherto been very low. Obviously the analysis also shows the decreasing influence of OECD and increasing influence of China on ASEAN with India remaining weak as an engine of growth for ASEAN. This calls for measures to enhance the region's intra-regional interdependencies as well as the interdependencies vis-a-vis ASEAN's traditional and emerging trading partners.

Early Adolescent Patterns of Alcohol and Tobacco Use in Eight Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States

Background: Though alcohol and tobacco are the most commonly used substances among adolescents, little is known about the patterning of early adolescent substance use in Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. Objectives: This study examined past month patterns of substances use and its gender difference among adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional samples among adolescents aged 13–16 years who completed the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) from eight ASEAN countries were included in the analysis (n = 40,212). Results: Prevalence of past month any tobacco use was relatively high in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines (11–15%), but prevalence of dual cigarette and other forms of tobacco use was about 2–5% in the five countries. Past month alcohol consumption prevalence was also high in Thailand, Viet Nam, and the Philippines (16–24%), compared to the rest countries (1.4–8.2%). Moreover, prevalence of the concurrent alcohol and tobacco use was higher in Thailand and the Philippines (7 and 10%, respectively), particularly in boys (13 and 15%, respectively). Conclusions/importance: Almost 30–40% of the boys and 10–20% of girls in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam are engaged in at least one of the two risk behaviors, and the concurrent alcohol and tobacco use was also relatively high among boys in those countries (5–15%). This study may provide some valuable insights on alcohol and tobacco policy in the region and requires to begin prevention and treatment programs in ASEAN member states.

Policy transfer from the UN to ASEAN: the case of trafficking in persons

ABSTRACTThis article examines the policy transfer from the United Nations (UN) to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the case of trafficking in persons (TIP). It presents pioneering empirical research that analyzes the processes and mechanisms of policy transfer between the UN and a regional organization. Institutional collective action and regime complex theories in international relations are used to complement the existing state-centric policy transfer framework. We argue that the UN-ASEAN policy transfer in TIP is characterized by a two-step process, starting with transfer from the UN to the ASEAN member states, followed by synthesis at the regional level. The consensus-based decision-making approach in ASEAN restricts transfer outcomes to a common low base of national preferences, which is the lowest common denominator. The ability of stakeholders in the TIP field to steer lesson drawing, emulation and coercive transfer at both the national and regional levels allows them to influence the lowest common denominator. At the same time, policy transfer to ASEAN is shaped by “forum-shopping” by the ASEAN member states and other stakeholders within the TIP regime complex, based on the comparative advantage between ASEAN and other cooperation mechanisms in solving TIP-related issues.

From commitment to compliance: ASEAN's human rights regression?

Whether it is the persecution of the Rohingya, the disappearance of human rights activists, the general limiting of freedom of speech across the region, or the resumption of the arbitrary use of the death penalty, Southeast Asia can be said to be facing a human rights crisis. This human rights crisis is though occurring at a time when the region’s institution, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has never been so interested in human rights. After a lengthy period of time in which ASEAN either ignored, or paid lip service to human rights, the Association has created a human rights body – the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) – and adopted an ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD). In this article, I utilize the Spiral Model to explain how, when ASEAN member states are regressing in their commitment to human rights, an intergovernmental body continues to promote their commitment and lay the groundwork for their compliance.

Global Ecolabelling Certification Standards and ASEAN Fisheries: Can Fisheries Legislations in ASEAN Countries Support the Fisheries Certification?

Fisheries, particularly small-scale fisheries, in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are an important source of food security, nutrition, and livelihood for people. However, high fishing pressure and other impacts have resulted in a decline of fisheries resources, questioning the future sustainability of fisheries. Ecolabelling is a tool developed based on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Guideline for Ecolabelling of Fish and Fisheries Products from Marine/Inland Fisheries. In the past decades, only a few fisheries in ASEAN countries have been certified. This study particularly focuses on the legal frameworks of these countries and reviews the existing national fisheries legislation, including laws, acts, decrees, directives, rules, and regulations in ASEAN countries in relation to the requirement of the fisheries certification standards. The review reveals that although the legal frameworks in ASEAN member states generally provide a fair basis for their fisheries to meet the requirement of the fisheries certification standards, further improvements are required to incorporate the concept of adaptive management, precautionary approaches, and reference points on fishery management objectives. Monitoring, control, and surveillance of fisheries and other enforcement activities for fisheries legislations are other challenges to ensure sustainability of fisheries through fisheries certification.

Plant-based food taboos in pregnancy and the postpartum period in Southeast Asia – a systematic review of literature

PurposeFood taboos during pregnancy and the postpartum period have been linked to increased risk of maternal and neonatal death. This paper aims to present plant-based food restrictions on Southeast Asian women during pregnancy and after giving birth and the rationale behind such cultural practices.Design/methodology/approachGoogle® Scholar, PubMed and Scopus search using the term food taboo, its synonyms and truncations, in combination with the terms pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding, and with the name of the Southeast Asian countries, was conducted from January to February 2017. Articles were included in the review if their full texts were accessible online, in English, published from 2005 to 2016 and if they contained primary data from either quantitative or qualitative method.FindingsA total of 281 articles were downloaded, and 28 were included in this review. The food taboos and the reasons for avoidance were collated and grouped per their occurrence and according to the country or countries where they are practiced. In total, 14 papers generated data on food taboos during pregnancy, 16 papers on postpartum food taboos and/or 6 on breastfeeding.Research limitations/implicationsThis review pools together relevant information about plant-based food taboos Southeast Asian women adhere to during pregnancy and after giving birth. However, data are absent for some of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, and there is a need for more research to get up-to-date information on the local women’s adherence to these cultural practices.Practical implicationThe knowledge of these practices can support stakeholders who are contributing to the reduction of maternal and under-five mortality ratios in Southeast Asia.Originality/valueThis is the first review paper on food taboos covering all ASEAN members and highlighting the need for cultural sensitivity to properly address maternal and child health problems in the region.