Inclusive and Effective International Tax Cooperation: Views From the Global South

In 2023, demands for the United Nations to take up a larger role in global tax governance are louder than ever before. Nevertheless, there is not yet a global consensus on the way forward. In this paper we investigate how the United Nations (UN) could create a more inclusive and effective space for international cooperation. We define the current governance architecture as an ‘international regime complex’, emphasising the fact that several institutions govern international tax cooperation, without there being a hierarchy between them. Based on evidence drawn from interviews with 33 government officials (mainly from lower-income countries) conducted from May to July 2023, and from literature reviews on global governance arrangements in other policy areas, we discuss what role the UN could take in this international regime complex.Foreign, Commonwealth & Development OfficeBill & Melinda Gates FoundationNorwegian Agency for Development Cooperatio