The U.N. General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly for the organization to develop a global tax framework, despite last-minute attempts to derail the plan from wealthy countries including the United Kingdom, United States, and the entire European Union bloc.
In what advocates hailed as a “historic victory,” countries voted 125 to 48 to adopt a resolution tabled by Nigeria last month on behalf of African member states, calling for a U.N. tax convention that could drastically change how global tax rules are set.
Nine countries abstained from the vote, which was held in New York on Nov. 22.
The unprecedented step is the latest development in a heated debate over whether the United Nations can deliver better representation on international tax matters for developing countries than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
This resolution is not just a policy document, it is a testament to our collective resolve for a fairer, more resilient, global economy.
Ahead of the vote, Nigeria’s permanent representative to the U.N., Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, described the resolution as a “beacon of hope.”
“As we navigate through a world marked by unprecedented challenges, economic uncertainties, [the end] of the COVID-19 pandemic and the present climate crisis … the role of effective, inclusive international cooperation becomes more crucial than ever,” Muhammad-Bande said.— U.N. representative Tijjani Muhammad-Bande
“This resolution is not just a policy document, it is a testament to our collective resolve for a fairer, more resilient, global economy.”
Earlier this year, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report that enhancing the U.N’s role in shaping policy was “the most viable path for making international tax cooperation fully inclusive and more effective.” That language was echoed in the newly adopted resolution.
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