More than 200 organisations and trade unions call for the adoption of the Africa Group resolution on a UN tax convention

Over 200 civil society organisations and trade unions have called on UN member states to adopt a draft resolution proposed by the Africa Group to create a comprehensive UN Tax Convention. The signatories argue that the current international tax system is biased against developing countries and fails to prevent illicit financial flows. They advocate for a legally binding, Member State-led agreement to be completed by June 2025, which would address digital economy taxation, progressive taxation, and the link between international tax cooperation and global crises, including environmental and health emergencies.

• The signatories support the establishment of a Member State-led, open-ended ad hoc intergovernmental committee to create a UN Tax Convention, arguing that existing international tax agreements are often biased against developing countries and lack global endorsement.
• There is an urgent need to complete the UN Tax Convention by June 2025 to combat illicit financial flows and address the 'cost of living crisis' and high public debt service payments following the Covid-19 pandemic.
• International tax abuse is estimated to cost countries US$480 billion in lost tax income annually, according to the State of Tax Justice Report 2023 by the Tax Justice Network.
• The proposed UN Tax Convention should be a legally binding agreement with a holistic scope, covering tax-related illicit financial flows, the taxation of cross-border services in a digitalized economy, and progressive taxation.
• The signatories emphasize that international taxation must be linked to other UN agendas, including the environment, gender, health, inequality, and sustainable development, to effectively fight global environmental crises.
• The statement calls for the full and effective participation of civil society and observers in the intergovernmental process to ensure the legitimacy and democracy of global tax governance.

APA

TrendAsia (2023). More than 200 organisations and trade unions call for the adoption of the Africa Group resolution on a UN tax convention. Trend Asia. https://trendasia.org/en/more-than-200-organisations-and-trade-unions-call-for-the-adoption-of-the-africa-group-resolution-on-a-un-tax-convention/

Chicago

TrendAsia. More than 200 organisations and trade unions call for the adoption of the Africa Group resolution on a UN tax convention. Trend Asia, 2023. https://trendasia.org/en/more-than-200-organisations-and-trade-unions-call-for-the-adoption-of-the-africa-group-resolution-on-a-un-tax-convention/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=TrendAsia |title=More than 200 organisations and trade unions call for the adoption of the Africa Group resolution on a UN tax convention |publisher=Trend Asia |date=11 October 2023 |url=https://trendasia.org/en/more-than-200-organisations-and-trade-unions-call-for-the-adoption-of-the-africa-group-resolution-on-a-un-tax-convention/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{trendasia2023more, author = {TrendAsia}, title = {{More than 200 organisations and trade unions call for the adoption of the Africa Group resolution on a UN tax convention}}, publisher = {Trend Asia}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://trendasia.org/en/more-than-200-organisations-and-trade-unions-call-for-the-adoption-of-the-africa-group-resolution-on-a-un-tax-convention/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }