Mata Press

Representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), along with leaders and public sector stakeholders from Asia and other Southern regions gathered for the Multi-stakeholders’ Forum and Asia Strategy Workshop. Billed as “UN Tax Convention Now! Rewriting the Global Tax Rules to Work for People and the Planet,” the event held at the Arden Hills Suites in Quezon City, was organized by the Global Alliance for Tax Justice (GATJ) and Tax and Fiscal Justice Asia (TAFJA), in collaboration with the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN).

A Press Conference was held on Saturday,June 22, calling on the governments of the Global South to persevere in their unity to overcome divide and rule tactics of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in forwarding their agenda. The presscon publicize the actions to be taken to broaden the support for a UN tax convention by the various stakeholders present in the forum and workshop. The speakers include Lidy Nacpil – APMDD Coordinator, Dr. Dereje Alemayehu – GATJ Executive Coordinator, Jeannie Manipon and Arjun Karki – TAFJA Co-Coordinators.

In November 2023, the UN adopted a resolution to establish a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. This aims to reform global tax rules for fairness and fiscal justice, addressing significant losses due to tax abuses, evasion, and loopholes. Negotiations are ongoing to form the Convention’s Ad-Hoc Committee, facing challenges like power imbalances and OECD influence. Solidarity within the G77 is crucial for transparent and inclusive negotiations, set to conclude by August. Civil society must ensure the convention prioritizes tax justice and the Global South’s interests, advocating for an inclusive, democratic, transparent, and accountable process.