A initial joint ILO-ASEAN mission reviewed ILO Initiatives for Decent Work and ASEAN IAI (Initiative for ASEAN Integration) Priorities on Labour and Employment. The mission identified several areas of work and priorities for ILO-ASEAN cooperation on labour and employment issues over the following years, one of which was a review of the labour and employment implications of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). The jointly undertaken studies described in this publication have helped to shed some light on the implications of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and related developments for the workers, employers and Governments in the subregion. A better understanding of such implications paves the way for sounder policies to implement the “caring societies” envisaged in the ASEAN Bali Concord II and the “decent work agenda” endorsed by ILO member States.rnASEAN is moving beyond free trade to deeper integration; to be sustainable, it will need a strong social dimension.