The ASEAN Secretariat, in coordination with the FES will organise a Symposium on methods for stakeholder involvement on 23-25 November 2009 in Jakarta involving leading representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), officials involved with the ASCC and relevant ASEAN bodies, universities and think-tanks, civil society and other national and regional stakeholders.

This recent publication looks into the palmoil production in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar, which has grown by 65 percent over the last decade and assess the environmental and social situation.

The traditional notion of energy security has been based on the affordability, accessibility and adequacy of energy supplies in relation to national and global challenges. However, contemporary energy security focuses no longer solely on the security dimensions of supply, but has expanded to other non-traditional security issues such as environmental impact and socioeconomic developments.

Since its formation in March 2007, the ASEAN Service Employee Trade Union Council (ASETUC) has made major progress in positioning as a labour partner of the ASEAN and the emergent civil society movement in the region.

In many countries in Asia, minimum wages are set by governments to secure a basic living standard for workers in low-cost industries. However, besides the fact that employers often violate teh law by failing to meet the stipulated minimum wages the minimum wages in these countries are not sufficient to secure a living. Side jobs, family help, and debts are daily survival strategies for workers in such a situation.