Raymond Baker discusses international tax cooperation on UN panel

Director of Global Financial Integrity Raymond Baker addressed international tax cooperation as a panelist at the informal United Nations panel discussion held yesterday in New York. Mr. Baker participated in the event’s second panel on innovative development financing initiatives under development.

Philippe Douste-Blazy, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Innovative Financing for Development, chaired the day-long event and provided opening and closing remarks. The meeting allowed for informal and interactive discussion of all the issues related to accomplishing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The first panel focused specifically on mechanisms of innovative development financing in operation.

The G77 and China statement said that the group “believes that innovative mechanisms of financing can make a positive contribution in assisting developing countries to mobilize additional resources for financing for development on a stable, predictable and voluntary basis.” The European Union also made a statement identifying its current initiatives and goals.

Representatives of all member states, observers, relevant entities of the UN system and other accredited intergovernmental organizations, as well as representatives of accredited civil society organizations and business sector entities were invited to participate, according to the event’s concept note. Mr. Baker was joined by a range of international finance and development experts including Cyrille Pierre, Deputy Director for Global Economic Affairs and Development Strategy from the French Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs, France; Susan McAdams, Director of Multilateral and Innovative Financing Department at the World Bank; Håkon Gulbrandsen, Senior Adviser for International Development at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Susan Durston, Associate Director of Education at UNICEF.

Yesterday’s discussion will result in a Chairman’s summary as an input to the preparatory process of the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the MDG to be held on September 20-22 in New York.

To view Mr. Baker’s presentation, click here.