United Nations Appoints 25 Tax Experts to Guide Global Policy on SDGs, Digital Economy, and Climate

أغسطس 1, 2025

7:22 ص

Key Points:

Global representation: 25 experts from diverse regions, majority women, appointed for 2025–2029 term.
Policy impact: Committee to guide countries on fair, inclusive tax systems aligned with the SDGs.
Critical focus: Tackling digital economy taxation, wealth taxes, environmental levies, and cross-border cooperation.

Strengthening Global Tax Cooperation

The United Nations has appointed 25 experts to its Committee on International Cooperation in Tax Matters for 2025–2029. The experts will help countries design tax systems that advance social, environmental, and economic goals while addressing challenges like the digital economy, climate transition, and inequality.

“The Committee helps countries work together to ensure their tax policies serve their development priorities,” said Li Junhua, UN DESA head. “Countries may want to modernize their tax treaties to reflect today’s digital economy, ensure fair taxation in the extractives sector, or explore options for wealth taxation.”

Tackling Complex Policy Trade-offs

The Committee advises on issues such as:

Taxing digital services without stifling innovation
Designing environmental taxes that support climate goals
Protecting developing countries’ tax bases in global treaties

Its past work has led to major breakthroughs, including guidance on taxing cross-border digital services without a physical presence, a Sample Net Wealth Tax Law, and a health taxes handbook linking fiscal policy to public health outcomes.

Inclusive and Practical Expertise

This term’s experts represent the widest geographical range and largest nomination pool since the Committee’s creation. The majority are women, reflecting the UN’s commitment to gender inclusion in tax leadership.

“ATAF welcomes the new Committee,” said Mary Baine, African Tax Administration Forum Executive Director. “The mix of experts is a sign of commitment to developing solutions that target both developing and developed countries alike.”

Shaping the Future of International Tax

The Committee’s work feeds into the ongoing UN process toward a Framework Convention on International Cooperation in Tax Matters. Its outputs have influenced tax treaty negotiations, transfer pricing rules, and policy alignment between tax, trade, and investment agreements.

“I have supported the work of the UN Committee of Experts for more than a decade and have witnessed its strategic importance,” said Márcio Verdi, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations.

Global Membership 2025–2029

Members hail from Singapore, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Mexico, Cambodia, Belgium, Spain, Nigeria, India, France, Kenya, Lithuania, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Zambia, Ireland, Brazil, Uruguay, Switzerland, Russian Federation, Norway, Liberia, Australia, Maldives, and China.

They will meet for their first session in October 2025 in Geneva, with proceedings open to registered observers from governments, business, academia, and civil society.