The World Bank's Ease of Doing Business index has significantly affected regulations and policies regarding corporate matters around the world, and yet there has been scant academic attempt examining the use and implication of the index, especially in the area of investor protection, which is an...

Countermeasures are well recognized under Customary International Law and have been incorporated into the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding as a mechanism to facilitate compliance, subject to an authorization by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. However, such a countermeasure — increased...

From its establishment in 1967, ASEAN has relied more on diplomacy rather than law. Political relations were managed by consultation and consensus and declaratory statements, while treaties denoting binding legal obligations were few. However, upon its 40th anniversary in 2007, the ASEAN Charter...

The 2008 food crisis showed vulnerabilities in the global food system and their dramatic impact on human well-being. As if the devastating effects of food price volatility were not sufficient to attract policy-maker’s attention to the issue of food security, climate change is poised to bring...

Compared to the USA, the European Union, Brazil, and Mexico, Asian World Trade Organization (WTO) members initiate fewer disputes relative to their respective stakes in global trade. They are also more likely to manifest a preference for negotiated settlements as respondents. Some have suggested...