News

On 11 June, Germany passed a much-debated act on due diligence in global supply chains. Frederike Boll writes about the power of alliances, the key…

Indonesia has answered the age-old question of how to ensure cooperation across a diverse population, by using a set of principles derived from the…

Over the past year, FES worked together with 20 researchers from across Asia to analyse the challenges of workers in the region and develop visions…

Looking at the past to find changing meanings of the ‘labour movement’: Historian Sakdina Chatrakul Na Ayudhya takes a close look at the history of…

A new online director’s guide walks you through “The Things Imprisoned in the World of Words”, an exhibition about South Korea’s National Security…

1995 marked a seminal year in the global fight for gender equality. How far have China and Germany come, and what remains to be done?

We take a closer look at the impact of COVID-19 on Southeast Asia, multilateralism and how the region is tackling the economic, security and strategic…

The Institute of Politics and Governance (IPG) in the Philippines explores ways to continue supporting good governance through people’s participation…

Today's double episode with Dr. Bärbel Kofler and Farzana Nawaz focusses on workers' rights along global supply chains.

For the shift from fossil fuels towards renewable energies to be genuinely sustainable on both the environmental and social levels, it needs to be…

Watch the presentation of our four keynote speakers from our series on gender and energy.

The Afghan peace process is at a crossroads. Violence is escalating, human rights workers and civilians are targeted, and rights abuses are…

Human survival requires care work, yet paid and unpaid care work still lack recognition. An FES working group on the future of the care economy has…

Become part of our research and policy network and help us rethink the future of work in Asia during and after COVID-19. Take a look at our focus…

A new FES study investigates how women in Asia are affected by digitalization and automation and explores feminist perspectives on the digital economy…

Around the world, women conduct the majority of (un)paid care work. In Asia, the care sector is particularly large. A new FES study investigates what…

China has become Indonesia’s largest trading partner and its third largest foreign investor. Indonesia’s Global Maritime Fulcrum and China’s Belt Road…

A web discussion on "The digital economy in Asia - Feminist perspectives" was hosted by FES Asia, WIDE+ and IT for Change with more than 100…

China’s geopolitics and geoeconomics are challenged by democratic transformation. Looking closely at the example of Malaysia, Sergio Grassi, analyses…

Payal Arora, author of “The Next Billion Users. Digital Life beyond the West” shares her views on digital justice and how it relates to the digital…

Bangladesh’s higher education is deteriorating. Extensive reforms are necessary for universities to better respond to the demands of the labour…

Lifelong learning and vocational training are at the center of the the Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Conference (RTSDC), held for the 10th time…

By including enforceable labour standards in trade agreements, trade deals will also benefit workers. This Model Labour Chapter for European Union…

To make decent working conditions and inclusive development a reality for all, industrial policy can play a key role in the Asia-Pacific region.

Eight country studies shed light on the challenges and chances the 4th Industrial Revolution poses for female labourers.

As governments show insufficient signs of comprehensively addressing the climate emergency, civil society must step up efforts to make sure their…

In a future for all, women will need to have meaningful access and opportunities to join the digital economy. FES partners met in Singapore to explore…

FES partners address the emerging care crisis and think of innovations in Asia.

A Bangladeshi delegation explores small and medium enterprises in Stuttgart.

Interview with Gotelind Alber on a genuine gender-sensitive climate transition for South-East Asia

India is known for its frugal innovations and ground-up development models. Through their work, the partners of FES have been pioneering social…

For Dendev Terbishdagva, November 9, 1989 was just another day at work as lecturer in Bernau, East Berlin. Until the news came that the Wall was there…

Urbanists from Europe and Asia are facing some of the same challenges, but from often quite different angles. Experts from nine Asian countries…

The extractive industry in Mongolia is making huge money for multinationals, but tax avoidance means this wealth is not translating into investments…

If urban development is led by communities it can make cities—and the wider economy—more inclusive and socially just. Indonesian urbanists discussed…

Policies need to address the rising need for care and to ensure decent work in the care economy of Asia.

Developing countries must do more than boost exports if they hope to improve workers’ lives. But which industrial policies have proven best at…

Two years after the first Academy of Work in Bangladesh, trainers have restyled the programme to better respond to the challenges of organized labour…

The technological changes sweeping the world of work have particular implications for women. Specialists from across Asia have selected two areas to…

A greater emphasis on renewable energy could benefit the people and the economy as well as the environment in Vietnam.

Ageing populations, technology advancements, climate change and the rise of non-standard jobs complicate further the grim outlook of the labour market…

In Asia the main priority for domestic workers is still to be recognized as workers.

For a trade deal to be fair, it must benefit workers all along the supply chain. To make sure this happens, workers must have a say in policies and…

A look at the county’s persistently popular but problematic power source.

Animations tell stories of everyday gender inequality from across Asia in fourth and last future lab.

India shares many development challenges with other countries, in particular regarding the energy transition and its environmental sustainability.…

At a regional dialogue in Dhaka, feminists, political economist and women’s rights and labour activists focus on recognition of care work and stronger…

The right to freely associate, bargain and be free from discrimination for exercising labour rights should continue to form the cornerstone of a…

Bringing the women’s and workers’ movements together is a challenging task that one of the working groups as part of a regional project on feminism in…

How can women’s and workers’ movements be brought together? Members of the network “Political Feminism in Asia” are to meet in Bangladesh to share…

Shifting spotlight from economic growth to the well-being of humans and nature can contribute to reduced carbon pressure on the Planet, better trade…

A movie-rating app developed by a group of feminists from across Asia aims to give space for feminist critique of the mainstream movie industry in the…

The large cities of Indonesia and Malaysia are no exception to the trend or rising poor and massive shortage in affordable housing and public…

Hate speech is rife on local news websites in Mongolia amid a lack of self-regulation of the newsroom and of media literacy among the public.

Myanmar activist Nandar draws attention to violence against the female body through her work as translator and performer.

The feminist network Political Feminism in Asia, a regional project by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, met in Penang to deliberate direction for joint…

The ongoing revision of Vietnam’s Labour Code is an opportunity to ensure workers’ rights are better protected in the economy of the 21st Century.

Campaigns around mega-sporting events can support trade union work in the fight for better working conditions for migrant workers.

Policies promoting the digital economy and transformation of manufacturing must incorporate the social and ecological interests, including those of…

The use of targeted sanction solves the main problem with blanket sanctions—the indiscriminate impact—while preserving the most advantageous feature:…

Applying targeted sanctions to enforce labour standards in trade agreements and trade preferences can improve the incentive for compliance.

Technological innovation is changing the way business is managed and how work is organized, raising concerns for workers in all ten ASEAN countries.

Initially embracing the opportunity to participate in China’s BRI, Myanmar is now sounding a note of caution about its exposure to Beijing’s projects…

In Timor Leste, progressive quotas for women in government are opening up new avenues for women in politics .

In Vietnam, a rights group works to ensure that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement safeguards labour and environmental standards laid out by EU and…

FES helps building new alliances that can bring feminist visions into the mainstream.

At a recent workshop in Vietnam, stakeholders explore how to bring together the work on climate governance and the implementation of the Paris…

An annual summit in Mongolia can serve as a platform for dialogue over the Korean Peninsula, in particular in the wake of the Kim-Trump summit in…

What lies behind the looming crisis over the future of jobs and how might it might impact the politics of India in 2019?

Undergraduate students from Hanoi explore alternative concepts of tourism and discuss the social and economic impacts of mainstream tourism on local…

Trade unions are developing strategies to address the harm a new generation of trade agreements may have on workers and access to public services in…

Ride-share platforms have been causing conflict in recent years between workers using the platform and traditional drivers in Thailand’s second city…

Shalini Sinha of WIEGO, a global network focused on securing livelihoods for the working poor, talks about the need to think outside the box when it…

China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has given rise to both hopes and concerns among its stakeholders along the route. While it offers…

New Delhi – A new methodology pursued by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in India has been applying a new narrative for alliance building to energy…

Housing remains a fundamental right, but social urban policy must also add to its focus the fight against unemployment, explains in this interview…

The EU and ASEAN are strengthening their cooperation by working towards a regional free trade agreement. The Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD)…

An urbanization that fails to produce just job opportunities will have far-reaching consequences.

Kathmandu – Experiences from the Philippines and Nepal suggest that a multi-lateral approach to international labour agreements could benefit weaker…

An alumnus speaks of her good fortune in attending the Global Labour University.

Karachi (Pakistan) – In Pakistan as elsewhere, the search is on for a system of economic and political governance that ensures socially inclusive,…

Singapore – The sustainable development chapters the European Union has in place in trade agreements and the way they are used are not leading to a…

The European Union says it is taking labour considerations into account in its free trade agreements, but it is not doing it in a way that actually…

Singapore – In 2014, Pakistan became a beneficiary of the EU’s GSP+ programme—a scheme which provides the country with zero import tariffs on most of…

Shanghai (China) – A Chinese-German symposium about the field of tensions between economic innovation and personal rights in the era of big data,…

Singapore – Today, some 60 to 80 per cent of the 20 trillion US dollars recorded gross exports are linked to the production of multinational firms in…

Bangkok (Thailand) – How the elimination of violence against women can be achieved in Thailand

After a decade of negotiations, South-East Asian countries signed an agreement to better safeguard the rights of the estimated 10 million migrant…

Manila – As China takes on a bigger role in the international community of nations with the Belt and Road Initiative, a workshop in Manila considers…

Bonn (Germany) – Interview with Nithi Nesaduria, member of the South-East Asia delegation attending the latest round of climate change talks by the…

Dhaka (Bangladesh) – Public and private sectors should be included in the design and implementation of any reforms to address the issues around…

Bangkok (Thailand) – Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Asia is bringing together its managerial staff for a workshop on strategic communication in the…

Manila (Philippines) – In the face of a rapidly-changing labour market, the Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Conference (RTSDC) was held last week…

Yangoon (Myanmar) – Will democracy in Myanmar have to live with military prerogatives, tutelary power and civilian-military power-sharing in the times…

Hanoi (Vietnam) – Renewable energy is likely to become increasingly important to the economies of Asia as they address energy security and…

Singapore – Young women rarely hold leadership positions in trade unions, a reality akin to workers organizing across Asia and bound to change with a…

Singapore – A model labour chapter to EU trade agreements and preferences commissioned by FES can pave way to stronger implementation of labour…

Kathmandu (Nepal) – As Nepal outlaws a discriminatory practice of exiling women during their periods, only concerted effort can turn the country’s…

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) – Trade unions gathered on 4-5 September 2017 to promote the ASEAN Guidelines for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on…

Jakarta (Indonesia) – A new book reasserts Indonesia’s tradition of tolerance

New Delhi (India) – We must place inclusiveness at the centre stage of any discussion about the future of work and employment

Jakarta (Indonesia) – A new study is out that formed the basis for discussion of the High-Level Policy Dialogue of ASEAN on the conditions of women…

Shanghai (China) – FES and partners in China continue the quest for new strategies to address the challenge of rapidly increasing urbanization and…

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) – Interview with Damba Ganbat, organizer of the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue, on the challenges to peace and security in Northeast…

Beni and Syangja (Nepal) – In two consecutive seminars organized by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Nepal, citizens discuss state-building at the local…

Brussels (Belgium) – “Trade agreements are instruments to improve the situation the participating nations find themselves in.”

Growing discontent with globalisation could turn into backlashes unless the EU brings its trade negotiations in line with its own human rights agenda…

Singapore (Singapore)—A new publication draws attention to the poor working conditions in global supply chains, and the link between trade and labour

Kathmandu (Nepal) – The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) organized a meeting on improving recruitment…

Hanoi (Vietnam) – Interview on the challenges and opportunities of an energy transition for Vietnam

To mitigate climate change, Asia needs to undergo a transition towards a low-carbon economy suggests the climate team of FES in Asia, since May with a…

Bangkok (Thailand) – Women's rights face ongoing challenges in Thailand, including persistent stereotyping and a range of oppressions, according to a…

Jakarta (Indonesia) – The digital economy has consequences for both organized and informal labour, requiring steps by employers, the government and…

Kathmandu (Nepal) – The drain on Nepal’s workforce from emigration and the state of the country’s democracy were among topics raised by at a youth…

On the occasion of the International Workers’ Day, Christopher Ng of UNI Asia & Pacific with a call for an economy where the human and social…

Dhaka (Bangladesh) ― FES and partners contribute to constructive social partnerships and harmonious industrial relations in the lead up to the Rana…

Dhaka (Bangladesh) – At a launch of a new study by FES and partners, experts discuss the Bangladesh transformative journey to avoid a middle-income…

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is organising a workshop in Phnom Penh to discuss the next steps of Core Labour Standards Plus (CLS+), a regional project in…

Himachal Pradesh (India)—A short documentary by FES raises awareness about the hardships of women and the families of migrant workers in India.

Tutzing (Germany) ― An expert forum and newly launched publication broach the debate on the security and cooperation implications of China’s Belt and…

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and its newly formed core group of participants in the regional project “Political Feminism in Asia” will meet for the first…

New Delhi (India) – With investments for strong workers organising, gender equality laws and policies to address issues of violence or care work are…

Singapore – An op-ed on domestic workers’ rights in Asia reminds us, the political goal of the international women’s movement for equality goes hand…

Dhaka (Bangladesh) – The majority of women in Bangladesh still bear the double burden of paid work and unpaid care work.

An op-ed on working conditions in the electronics industry testifies to the urgency for binding and enforceable labour provisions, focus of CLS+, a…

Singapore ― In a guest contribution for FES on World Day of Social Justice, ITUC General Secretary calls for decent work in supply chains in Asia.

Phnom Penh (Cambodia) – A multi-media project in Cambodia advocates for better working conditions of female construction workers.

Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) – Experts discuss how to link trade, decent work and shared prosperity in global supply chains, finding that voluntary…

A looming slowdown of global trade triggers social issues. A comeback of conservatism cements persistent inequalities: Those are the challenges of the…

More spare time, better pay, safer workplaces: The CLS+ project by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Asia aims to better the working conditions for workers…

What are the challenges and opportunities for achieving decent work in global supply chains? How do transnational corporations and their global supply…

Kabul (Afghanistan) ̶ Amidst the fallout from dwindling international aid, a new role is possible for India in the economic stabilization of…

Seoul (Korea) – Experts from ten Asian countries lead the Economy of Tomorrow (EoT) regional project to the next phase. Amidst changing political…

In the face of economic, ecological and social challenges the Economy of Tomorrow project prepares the shift to a new development path.

Policies that advance gender equality are central to the work towards social democracy.

Islamabad (Pakistan) – A study by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung helps rethink strategies and alliances in debates and actions against gender violence.

Kabul (Afghanistan) – A new study charts recommendations for Afghanistan’s energy security in partnership with Central Asian countries.

Pokhara (Nepal) — The Asian civil aviation industry is growing alongside a pressing need to organize workers across its different sectors.

An Asia-wide BASF regional network takes shape in Singapore as part of an effort to create a sustainable BASF Global Network of trade unionists.

Sampran (Thailand) – A policy community has been exploring alternative tax models, part of the Economy of Tomorrow project.

New Delhi (India) – Shiva and his consort Parvati* in discussion on feminism in a new comic by FES India to mark the launch of their country study as…

Gender equality is a core value of social justice and therefore an essential part of FES programmes.

August 23, 2016 — FES Asia is part of an international FES delegation to discuss climate justice and social ecological transformation at a global…

An important mission of the international union movement is to increase its participation in global governance and convey the views and concerns of…

The potential of Social Protection Floors to eradicate poverty and to balance economic and social uncertainties has been reaffirmed by its prominent…

“Unless targeted measures are taken, women will suffer from gendered inequalities limiting their ability to take full advantage of the opportunities…

The FES Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia welcomes its new Director, Adrienne Woltersdorf. After almost four years, the previous Director Julia…

A new series of publications by FES Afghanistan and the Afghanistan Analysts Network puts in context the security situation of the region with the…

Young workers affiliated to the International Transport Federation have expressed their concern over the growing trend of precarious work arrangements…

A new period of transition and uncertainty dawns on post-election Philippines where the next president faces challenges of good, effective and…

Over 35% of the domestic workers worldwide are accounted for in Asia where the Philippines remains the only country to ratify international labour…

Three young political activists from Southeast Asia share their thoughts about political participation and organizing at a time of a rising economic…

In Kathmandu, Building and Woodworkers International and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung bring together women trade unionists to pave the road for…

Securing social and labour standards in global supply chains is a challenge under current trade regimes and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is gearing up…

State feminism as enforced by the Communist Party of China (CCP) after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, has brought enormous…

In this workshop, FES brought together partners and representatives from regional and international organisations, parliaments, trade unions, academic…

At the end of 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has become a reality for the region’s 600 million people. The AEC has great potential to…

Lively discussions of representatives from trade union centres from over 20 countries from Asia and Europe with government officials, the European…