Financial Transparency Coalition

Our colleagues at CCFD-Terre Solidaire in France have prepared a progress report (in French) on what has changed since the G-20 Summit in London last year. Sadly, it does not make for happy reading.

The report addresses 12 questions, as follows:

1. Have we seen the end of tax havens?
2. What purpose have the OECD black and grey lists served?
3. Are tax authorities able to tackle evaders more easily?
4. Is G-20 capable of publishing a full and proper list of tax havens?
5. What have been major success stories for tax authorities since the summit?
6. Are the tax havens frightened about their future prospects?
7. What has changed for the banks?
8. What has changed for multinational companies?
9. What has changed for organised crime and corruption?
10. What has changed for developing countries?
11. Has civil society mobilisation served any purpose?
12. Can we expect anything from the G-20 process?

Good questions, and we recommend you sharpen up your French vocabulary, read the full report, and get angry at the pathetic lack of progress made since last April.

And don’t forget to note in your diary that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has the Presidency of G-20 in 2011, and he has already signalled that tax havens will be the principal theme. The G-20 2011 Summit will be held in lovely Cannes, on the French Riviera. We’ll be there.