TJNA and Tunisian Observatory of Economy to co-host a CSO conference on reforms of global tax rules

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TJNA and Tunisian Observatory of Economy (OTE) will co-host a CSO conference on the reforms of the global tax rules on the 24th and 25th of June 2024 in Tunis, Tunisia. The conference themed ‘The Role of African Countries in Defining Global Tax Rules’ will bring together African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to discuss the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation and develop an action agenda on the ongoing global tax reforms. 

The conference will provide a platform to discuss, analyse and develop concrete solutions to the challenges and opportunities of international tax reform for Africa and explore the potential of the UN Tax Convention as a more democratic and inclusive framework.   

The conference will consist of two sessions: an open public session on the 24th of June to foster public discussions and collaborations and a closed session for civil society actors who are interested in building an African working group and agenda on the 25th of June.   

Following the affirmative vote for a UN Tax Convention in October 2023, an ad-hoc intergovernmental committee was established with the objective of negotiating the terms of reference (ToRs), a crucial step in defining what the future convention should include. The Bureau of this committee comprises 4 member states, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Ghana, representing Africa. The ToRs will be submitted for voting at the next General Assembly of the UN at the end of the year, and the negotiations for the content of the convention are due to start in 2025.  

Africa has much to gain in participating in the development of the UN Tax Convention by assessing the opportunities for strengthening regional tax cooperation and promoting domestic resource mobilisation efforts.  

The conference, therefore, will promote the understanding of the process of discussion, validation and implementation of the UN tax convention and reflect on the contributions required from African countries and the critical role of CSOs in achieving this. Further, the conference will plan the next critical steps for CSOs to advocate for the UN Tax Convention and contribute to its ToRs and contents. 

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For more details about the conference, please contact fotiato[@]taxjusticeafrica.net.