international cooperation

Civil Society FfD List Sign-on Letter: Implementation of UN Resolution on International Tax Cooperation

Photo: https://csoforffd.org/

We invite you all to sign on to the letter, and the deadline for doing so is Friday 16 December 2022. You can find the letter here and the form to sign on is here. 

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To the kind attention of:

Permanent Representatives and Permanent Observers to the United Nations in New York

United Nations Secretariat, Agencies and Programmes

 

X December 2022

 

Subject: Implementation of UNGA Second Committee resolution on promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the United Nations (A/C.2/77/L.11/Rev.1)

 

Your Excellencies distinguished representatives of UN Member States,

 

We, the undersigned civil society organisations and trade unions, strongly support and welcome the UNGA resolution on promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the UN (A/C.2/77/L.11/Rev.1). We commend the Africa Group for its excellent leadership on this issue and for finally ensuring implementation of the long-standing demand of developing countries for a UN intergovernmental negotiation process on international tax. We urge all UN Member States to maintain and reinforce the spirit of international cooperation that resulted in the adoption by consensus of this historic resolution. 

 

Furthermore, we are writing to you with a call for all governments to work constructively towards the urgent and efficient implementation of the resolution. This includes: 

 

  1. Supporting a speedy approval in the UNGA Fifth Committee of the required budget allocation for the implementation of the resolution, in line with the related Programme budget implications analysis (A/C.2/77/L.75). The budget requirement, totaling US$ 432,700, was presented to Member States ahead of the adoption of the resolution. We now count on all UN Member States to stand by the consensus agreement reached with the resolution and confirm the allocation of the required resources. We also urge all UN Member States to keep in mind that international tax cooperation is urgently needed, not least to combat tax-related illicit financial flows, which are costing governments hundreds of billions of dollars in lost tax income every year. This must therefore be a matter of high importance and urgency.

 

  1. Supporting strong stakeholder involvement in the consultation process related to the UN Secretary General’s report as mandated by the resolution. We strongly welcome the fact that stakeholder consultation is explicitly included in the text of the resolution, and we stand ready to make our contributions. We, the undersigned civil society organisations and trade unions, bring in-depth knowledge from all regions of the world about the devastating impacts of the failure of international tax cooperation, including the continued bleeding of public resources in the form of illicit financial flows. We also bring concrete and specific proposals for solutions, including for how a future UN Convention on Tax could be designed. 

 

  1. Supporting a strong intergovernmental UN process to strengthen international tax cooperation. Through the resolution, all UN Member States have agreed to “begin intergovernmental discussions in New York at United Nations Headquarters on ways to strengthen the inclusiveness and effectiveness of international tax cooperation”. We strongly welcome this vital initiative, and stress the importance of moving forward with urgency. As stated in the adopted resolution, combating illicit financial flows is an essential development challenge, and developing countries are particularly susceptible to the negative impact of illicit financial flows. Therefore, we believe that the modalities for the foreseen process must be adopted as a matter of high priority, and this should take place no later than the seventy-eighth session of the UN General Assembly. Furthermore, we would like to stress the importance of ensuring that the modalities provide for a transparent and inclusive member state-led negotiation process with full participation of stakeholders, including civil society. 

 

Despite the fact that international tax rules and standards affect all countries and people of the world, there has until this point been no inclusive international body where all countries were able to participate on an equal footing in the decision-making on international tax matters. This injustice is at the heart of the failure of the international tax system, which has continued to be characterised by injustice, inefficiency, incoherence, unilateral actions and beggar-thy-neighbor policies. All countries have paid a high price for this failure, but the impacts on developing countries have been particularly hard. The UN remains the only truly universal body where all countries participate as equals, and the consensus adoption of the UN resolution, including the decision to begin intergovernmental discussions on international tax matters under the auspices of the UN, constitutes a truly historical shift towards fairness and inclusivity. 

The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the “cost of living crisis”, the fight to increase domestic resource mobilisation and combat illicit financial flows has never been more vital. In 2021, the State of Tax Justice report estimated that countries around the world are losing over US$450 billion per year due to international tax dodging and abuse by multinational corporations and wealthy individuals. Faced with the challenges of financing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and combatting the global environmental crises, it is clear that the international community must take urgent action to strengthen international tax cooperation and stop the immense bleeding of public resources. 

We remain at your disposal if you would like to receive more information or would like to meet to discuss this issue further. 

 

Yours sincerely,

Civil Society Financing for Development Group (www.csoforffd.org)

 

Signatories

 

  1. Civil Society Financing for Development (FfD) Group
  2. Global Alliance for Tax Justice (GATJ): Alliance of five continental tax and fiscal justice networks in Asia (Tax & Fiscal Justice Asia), Africa (Tax Justice Network Africa), Latin America (Red de Justicia Fiscal de América Latina y el Caribe), Europe (Tax Justice-Europe) and North America (Canadians for Tax Fairness & FACT Coalition), collectively representing hundreds of organisations. 
  3. European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad)

 

High-Level Launch Event Of The International Decade Of Indigenous Languages

UNESCO, in co-operation with the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the members of Global Task Force for Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages, will organize and host a High-level launch event on 13 December 2022 from 10.00 to 18.00 (Central European Time) at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France (Room II).

The High-level launch event will primarily target high level representatives of UNESCO Member States, Indigenous leaders, the UN system, civil society national researcher organizations and representatives from the public and private sector.

The High-level launch will:

  • Mark the launch of the International Decade of Indigenous languages and raise awareness primarily among duty bearers on the critical situation of Indigenous languages around the world,
  • Foster international cooperation, sharing of experiences and creation of multistakeholder partnerships for the preservation, revitalization and promotion of Indigenous languages,
  • Reflect on immediate actions to be taken by all actors to implement the Global Action Plan of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (UNESCO 41 C/INF.14).

The event will provide an open space for discussion, sharing of good practices, and presentation of concrete projects. It will also feature a cultural performance by Indigenous artists. A global social media campaign is being carried out in conjunction with the launch event, to increase awareness about the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.

Register here by Dec. 6!

Interpretation services

  • Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish and Russian.
  • Live Captioning Services will be provided in English.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the chair at fmhult@umbc.edu or the vice chair at tonkin@hartford.edu. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit un-ngocrip.net. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org. 

Workshop on enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and Regional Mechanisms for the promotion and protection of Human Rights with a focus on business and human rights

Join UNOG on 18-19 October, 2022, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland for this important workshop. Read the draft concept note here.
Theme: the role of regional arrangements in the field of Business and Human Rights

Register here: indico.un.org/event/1001270

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.

12th Session-United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM)

The twelfth session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) will be held from 3 – 5 August 2022 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. UN-GGIM, comprising experts designated by the Governments of Member States, seeks to promote international cooperation in global geospatial information management and provide a forum for coordination and dialogue among Member States, and between Member States and relevant international organizations. As the relevant inter-governmental body on geospatial information in the United Nations, UN-GGIM reports on all matters relating to geography, geospatial information and related topics to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

For full agenda, side events, relevant documents, and registration information, please visit ogc.org/otherevents/unggim-12th-session.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at fmhult@umbc.edu or tonkin@hartford.edu. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com.

Emerging technologies in the area of LAWS: Exploring the legal and ethical implications of algorithmic bias

In September 2021, the European Union adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/1694 in support of the universalization, implementation and strengthening of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW).

Under “Project 3: Facilitation of discussions on under-explored, emerging & cross-cutting issues of relevance to the CCW” in the document annexed to the Council Decision, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs’ (UNODA) Geneva Branch has the pleasure to invite you to a webinar on the legal and ethical implications of algorithmic bias in emerging technologies in the area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) to take place on Tuesday, 26 July 2022, 1:15-2:45pm (CET).

The webinar will host panelists who will speak on a) machine learning and bias; b) legal and ethical implications of algorithmic bias in the area of LAWS; and c) implications of algorithmic bias for military AI governance.

Here is the link to register.

Format:

Moderator: Dr. Vincent Boulanin, Senior Researcher at SIPRI

1)  Presentations will be given by panelists.

2)  After the presentations the floor will be open for questions and comments, which will be typed by participants into the chat and selected by the moderator.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit  ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee for Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. 

Accelerating the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Implementation: Addressing Systemic Barriers, Recovery Gaps and Strengthening Peoples’ Participation

This year, the HLPF focuses on SDGs 4, 5, 14, 15 and 17, in addition to the focus on the theme of impact of COVID-19 pandemic and building back better. It is also understood that the high-level segment of ECOSOC will also discuss multilateralism and international cooperation in relation to sustainable recovery from COVID-19 and achieving the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development aspirational goals. Keeping the above context in perspective, and also building on the aspirations of the civil society community engaging in the process, this side event aims to provide a platform, perspective and dialogue space among MGoS representatives and other stakeholders from across the world, to further discuss the accelerated implementation of SDGs grounded with focus on systemic reforms such as recovery gaps and strengthening of peoples’ participation.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pceGqrjgjHdKMkt0_4Emvo0SHg9Uv5B6p

The following questions will be interrogated through multi-stakeholder dialogue:

What are the civil society proposals on post COVID-19 recovery approaches needed to accelerate the implementation of SDGs across social, economic and environmental dimensions, leaving no one behind with human rights and gender equality in the centre of recovery approaches?

What are the civil society proposals to address structural barriers, inequalities and inequities and systemic reforms required including climate and financial injustice and ensuring inclusive public services – health, including equal access to COVID-19 prevention, diagnostic and therapeutics, education and social protection?

What are the civil society proposals towards strengthening multilateralism and expanding civic space to build back better from COVID-19 with focus on partnerships with the people, and means of implementation?

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, please visit ngocoa-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email its co-chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. 

Exchange with Mr. Volker Türk, Under-Secretary-General for Policy

Dear Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) accredited at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG),

We are pleased to invite you to an exchange with Mr. Volker Türk, Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, which will take place on Wednesday, 29 June 2022 from 10:00 to 11:00 am in Room XXIV at the Palais des Nations.

Mr. Türk will brief on the Secretary-General’s vision and strategic priorities as set out in the report Our Common Agenda. The report addresses fundamental questions and challenges that humanity is confronted with today and will face in the future, and presents proposals designed to strengthen and accelerate multilateral cooperation, with strong emphasis on turbo-charging the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

You are kindly invited to confirm the participation of your NGO by providing names of your representative(s) by email to unog.ngo@un.org.

Only NGO representatives in possession of a valid grounds pass will be able to attend.

We wish to inform you that the briefing will be in English only and to remind you of the requirement to wear facial masks in all conference rooms of the Palais des Nations.

With best regards,

NGO Liaison Unit

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Cher(e)s représentant(e)s des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) accréditées auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève (ONUG),

Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un échange avec M. Volker Türk, Secrétaire général adjoint chargé de la politique au Cabinet du Secrétaire général, qui aura lieu le mercredi 29 juin 2022 de 10h00 à 11h00 dans la salle XXIV, au Palais des Nations.

M. Türk présentera la vision et les priorités stratégiques du Secrétaire général telles qu’elles sont énoncées dans le rapport Notre programme commun. Le rapport aborde les questions et les défis fondamentaux auxquels l’humanité est confrontée aujourd’hui et sera confrontée à l’avenir, et présente des propositions visant à renforcer et à accélérer la coopération multilatérale, en mettant l’accent sur la mise en œuvre de l’Agenda 2030.

Vous êtes cordialement invités à confirmer la participation de votre ONG en fournissant le(s) nom(s) de votre(vos) représentant(s) par courriel à unog.ngo@un.org.

Seuls les représentants d’ONG en possession d’un badge d’accès à l’ONUG valable seront en mesure de participer.

Nous vous informons que le briefing se déroulera uniquement en anglais et vous rappelons l’obligation de porter un masque facial dans toutes les salles de conférence du Palais des Nations.

Avec nos meilleures salutations,

Unité de liaison avec les ONG

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

2021 Global People’s Forum

The C4UN 2021 Global People’s Forum will take place Wednesday December 8, beginning at 09:00 EST / 14:00 UTC.

Register here!

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.org.

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