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SC Statement to the WHO INB8, 19 February 2024

South Centre Statement to the WHO INB8

The pandemic instrument must increase equity, multilateral cooperation and accountability. See the South Centre’s statement to the 8th meeting of the World Health Organization’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body:

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SC Statement – 7th WHO WGIHR, 6 February 2024

South Centre Statement to the 7th meeting of the WHO Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)

6 February 2024

The South Centre urges the WGIHR to ensure that equity issues are substantially addressed in the process of amendments to the IHR in accordance with decision EB150(3) which mandates the WHGIHR to “… address clearly identified issues, challenges, including equity …” in this process. To that end member States have submitted important textual proposals that seek to advance equity concerns in the IHR. As the WGIHR negotiations advance towards their culmination, it is critical that these proposals on equity, in particular articles, 13, 13A, 44 and 44A, are prioritised and treated on an equal footing with the other amendment proposals. Textual proposals on equity provisions should not be deferred to be addressed only in the INB negotiations, noting that while the INB negotiations concern an international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, the IHR is an instrument that is different in scope and deals with public health emergencies of international concern. Equity issues are critical in both instruments.

South Centre Statement for 3rd South Summit, 21-23 January 2024

Statement for the Third South Summit of the Group of 77 and China

Kampala, Uganda

21-23 January 2024

South Centre stressed that the theme of the G77 Summit ‘Leaving No One Behind ’ reflects the urgent needs and aspirations of the Global South towards meeting their Sustainable Development priorities.

The Centre highlighted the importance of South-South Cooperation for dealing with the most critical challenges of our time, eradicating poverty, healing and securing our planet, & shifting the world onto a sustainable and resilient path.

The South Centre stands ready to support developing countries and the G77+China to find common positions and mutual understanding in key areas of global governance and multilateral negotiations for effectively addressing the global crises that define our time.

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South Centre Statement to 19th NAM Summit, 19-20 January 2024

Statement for the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement

Kampala, Uganda

19-20 January 2024

The South Centre addressed the 19th Summit of NAM, and highlighted that international cooperation and SSTrC are vital for facing global challenges and fostering a more peaceful and interconnected world.

The Centre emphasized that the experience and achievements of NAM should play a major role in the efforts to reform the international economic order towards sustainable development, poverty eradication, and fair and equitable global governance.

The NAM has a major role to promote international cooperation, sustainable development, peace & security, and ensuring shared global affluence for its member States. The South Centre stands ready to support the NAM to achieve their common objectives and priorities.

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SC Statement at HRC on HRs & 2030 Agenda, 18 January 2024

Statement of the South Centre at the Sixth Intersessional Meeting of the Human Rights Council on Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda

18 January 2024

Leveraging human rights in the fight against illicit financial flows and corruption through greater international tax cooperation and fiscal transparency

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SC Statement on COP28, 30 November 2023

THE WORLD EXPECTS COP28 TO AGREE ON CONCRETE CLIMATE ACTION

COP28 has raised expectations around the world that concrete actions will be taken to address the climate crisis, which is having devastating effects notably in developing countries. Read our statement:

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SC Statement – Conference on SSC in International Tax Matters, 27 November 2023

Opening Remarks by Dr. Carlos Correa, Executive Director of the South Centre, at the “Conference on South-South Cooperation in International Tax Matters: Don’t cede your taxing rights by signing a blank cheque”, co-organized with the Global Alliance for Tax Justice (27 November 2023)

The Conference is taking place at a time of severe challenges to the global economy and, particularly, for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Rising borrowing costs, tight global financial conditions and high debt burdens are constraining the fiscal space of many developing countries. These conditions make domestic resource mobilization through tax collection more important than ever. The taxation of foreign multinational corporations in the digital economy, in particular the Big Tech firms, has now become imperative both for providing much-needed revenues and for levelling the playing field of domestic companies in our countries.

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SC Statement – UN Resolution on UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, 23 November 2023

Statement by the South Centre on the Historic UN Resolution Calling for a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation

 23 November 2023

 The South Centre strongly welcomes the adoption on 22 November 2023 of the historic resolution in the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly on the “Promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the United Nations”. The resolution calls for establishing a “Member State-led, open-ended ad hoc intergovernmental committee for the purpose of drafting terms of reference for a United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation” and is arguably the most significant development in international taxation in the modern era. The South Centre has been actively engaged in supporting these negotiations, in partnership with various institutions from the Global South and allies from the Global North, and commends the African Group in the UN in New York for their leadership of the developing world in steering through this momentous resolution.

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SC Statement on USTR JSI E-Commerce Decision, 15 November 2023

U-turn by the U.S. Trade Representative to rein in the Big Tech Digital Trade Agenda

15 November 2023

The landmark shift by the U.S. Trade Rrepresentative to set aside four proposals to ensure “policy space” for the U.S. is a welcomed development under the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) negotiations on E-commerce on the side lines of the WTO. This decision validates the positions taken by governments in the Global South for the last seven years. There remain several provisions in the negotiating text that will be detrimental to the development of domestic digital industries in developing countries.

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SC Statement to INB 7, 6 November 2023

Statement by the South Centre to the INB 7

6 November 2023

As the intergovernmental think tank of developing countries, we are pleased to provide our support to these negotiations.

The current negotiating text is not yet fit for purpose.

We encourage the INB this week to reflect on and improve the negotiating text…

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SC Statement – 9th OEIGWG on TNCs & OBEs, 23 October 2023

STATEMENT TO THE NINTH SESSION OF THE OPEN-ENDED INTERGOVERNMENTAL WORKING GROUP ON TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS AND OTHER BUSINESS ENTERPRISES

23 October 2023

The 9th Session of the OEIGWG on TNCs & OBEs began today at UN Geneva, with all eyes on the negotiations of the binding treaty to regulate corporations and promote access to justice for victims of human rights abuses.

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