ACTION: Letter to governments and the UN on to a Global Tax Body

A letter for governments regarding the need for an intergovernmental tax body to be established under the United Nations. The aim of this letter is to support the forces trying to bring this issue back on the agenda, and get as many countries as possible to speak out in favor. 

Ecuador has recently supported the idea of establishing a global UN tax body, and this creates new opportunities. However, this is not a "support Ecuador"-campaign, but rather an attempt to use the opportunity to get many more governments to speak out in favor of establishing an intergovernmental tax body. 

This is an effort to promote the creation of a Global Tax Body within the United Nations. Such an international tax body would help fight corruption and tax evasion and thus make more resources available for health, education and social services.

The letter can be downloaded here in English, French and Spanish. Furthermore, you will also find attached a special version of the letter (in English only) which is specifically for the upcoming UN Secretary General Guterres. 

If your organization would like to sign the letter, please send to Tove Maria Ryding  <tryding@eurodad.org> the following information: 

- Your organization's logo
- The name of your organization
- Which country is your organization based in (if your organization is international, please write that)?
- Let us know whether you would like to sign both the letter to governments and to Guterres or only one of them.

Please send this information before close of business on Friday 28 October

Please note that:

- At the moment, the letter only refers to the "undersigned civil society organizations". However, if other types of organizations (for example trade unions (hint hint)) would like to sign on, they are of course WARMLY welcome to, and we will then amend the text in the final letter accordingly.

- When you sign, your logo and the name of your organization will be added to the letter, which will be sent to governments around the world. You will also be asked to send the letter to your own government, in coordination with the other signatories based in your country (see below). If you would like to translate the letter into your own language, you're also welcome to do that.  

- The text of the letter is finalized. However, as you can see, it includes the option for national organizations to insert a nationally targeted paragraph in the letter for their government, as long as that does not change the overall message and style of the letter. 

Next steps and coordination going forward:

Step 1: Immediately after the deadline, we will pull together all the logos, finalize the letter and send it to this emailing list.

Step 2 - Monday 31 October: We will send out an overview of all the organizations that have signed the letter, including which country they are based in. We will also suggest who can coordinate the sending of the letter in each country. 

Step 3 (first week of November): National organizations send the letter. 

Step 4 (around 2 weeks later): National organizations follow up by contacting the ministry to ensure that they've received the letter, and offer to meet and discuss the letter. 

This letter is part of a broader plan to try and push for the establishment of a global tax body. If you would like to join the work and be added to the emailing list (called ffdtax@googlegroups.com), please send an email.