Abstract
This issue delves into critical economic and policy challenges, including regional trade expansion, environmental impacts of trade liberalization, and land governance reforms. A key study explores the expansion of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and its potential inter-regional linkages. As ASEAN moves toward deeper economic integration, the paper examines opportunities and challenges in connecting AFTA with other trade blocs such as the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations (CER), East Asian economies, and the Andean Community. The discussion highlights principles for effective expansion and identifies conflicts arising from differing trade objectives. Another paper investigates the relationship between trade policy and the environment, analyzing how trade reforms have influenced pollution-intensive industries. Using a simulation model, the study finds that greater trade liberalization can have positive environmental effects when paired with appropriate environmental policies. Beyond trade, this issue also examines land governance in Uganda, focusing on the implementation of the 1998 Land Act. The study critiques the complexities of land reform, arguing that historical and modern governance frameworks shape, but also hinder, real progress in land policy implementation.
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