Governments in the region are promoting “inclusive, sustainable development for all” as they work towards the goal of becoming a single economic community by the end of 2015. 

But as the briefing finds, rapid investment is currently accompanied by widespread abuses of human rights, including harsh working conditions in the garment and agricultural sectors, and forced evictions to make way for special economic zones.

To attract investment, many governments are rolling back protections for workers and the environment and restricting the ability of civil society to operate...