Miranda Stewart (Melbourne), The Voice of All Nations in Global Tax Coordination (JOTWELL) (reviewing Nikki J. Teo (Sydney), The United Nations in Global Tax Coordination (Cambridge University Press 2023)):

Sometimes a book arrives at just the right moment in history. That is the case for The United Nations in Global Tax Coordination by Dr. Nikki J. Teo, which tells the story of the United Nations (UN) Fiscal Commission, a short-lived attempt in the mid-20th century to create an international tax process that would reflect and support the interests of developing countries. The product of years of doctoral research, the book was published just before the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 78/230 (22 December 2023) to establish a new UN process for international tax cooperation. It has deservedly won the 2024 IBFD Frans Vanistandael Award for a publication in international taxation.

The United Nations in Global Tax Coordination is a work of substance about tax cooperation at the UN and before it, the work of the Fiscal Committee of the League of Nations. Teo explores the growth and decline of the UN Fiscal Commission at a time that saw a growing divide between “developed” and “developing” countries. She draws on archives of the UN, the League, and British and US governments to tell an intriguing story of shifting geopolitical, economic, and business alliances during the second world war, and Cold War gameplaying. …

Teo’s book is powerfully relevant today, as we continue to observe deep tensions between capital exporting and capital importing jurisdictions. The majority of OECD member states voted against the Resolution for a new and inclusive tax negotiating framework at the UN last year. Yet work is proceeding, and the UN Ad Hoc Committee on 16 August voted on the terms of reference for the convention that will now go to the General Assembly for consideration by the end of 2024. The Committee voted overwhelmingly in favour of the terms of reference. Most European Union countries abstained, while only eight countries voted no (Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, the UK and the US). It is disappointing to see these democracies vote against a UN framework convention, and we must hope for a change in approach. Developed countries must not miss the opportunity to build positively on previous cooperative efforts led by the OECD and to help to establish the beginnings of a truly inclusive UN tax forum. Meanwhile, we can all learn from Teo’s book in negotiating, observing, and critiquing the latest developments.

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