African Tax Forum Hails UN Vote on Global Tax Rules
ATAF now urges sustained continental leadership during negotiations to establish the new, expanded UN international tax cooperation body.
PRETORIA, South Africa — The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) praised the adoption Thursday of a United Nations resolution to enhance developing country participation in setting global tax standards, writes Winston Mwale.
In a statement, ATAF said the measure approved by the UN General Assembly's second committee signals hope for greater transparency and economic sustainability across Africa in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
The resolution calls for strengthening the inclusiveness and effectiveness of international tax cooperation at the UN through the creation of an intergovernmental body for deliberating tax issues.
ATAF Executive Secretary Logan Wort said the decision marks a “win-win for the global community” that rectifies the historical exclusion of many jurisdictions from crucial tax policy decisions.
He indicated that African nations stand to benefit from a larger role in moulding rules against tax avoidance and evasion.
“In embracing the Resolution, ATAF anticipates its members’ rightful participation in shaping decisions crucial to raising essential resources for Africa’s development,” Wort said.
By contributing expertise to new binding global tax guidelines, African countries could help curb revenue losses averaging $88 billion per year from practices like corporate tax dodging, Wort explained.
That annual sum exceeds the total foreign development assistance flowing into the continent.
“This marks a historic step for Africa in contributing to global prosperity and rectifying historic imbalances,” the ATAF statement read.
The pan-African organisation recognised the collaborative efforts by the Addis Ababa-based African Union mission and the African Group of UN diplomats in Geneva to build consensus for a more equitable approach.
The groups emphasised the need to finance development objectives under the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
ATAF now urges sustained continental leadership during negotiations to establish the new, expanded UN international tax cooperation body.
The forum pledged its support for the process as a partner.
“We believe that this approach presents a more inclusive and equitable pathway to sustainable development for Africa,” Wort said.
He added that existing global expertise should help inform the deliberations over terms of reference for the proposed panel.
Established in 2009 with over 45 member states, ATAF focuses on enhancing domestic resource mobilisation capacity and safeguarding Africa’s tax base from unilateral tax reforms and controversial profit shifting by multinational corporations.