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“UN Must Now Direct International Tax Policymaking,” Bahamas’ AG Tells UWI DAOC

For Release Upon Receipt - October 28, 2024

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago, October 28, 2024 – “The United Nations is the appropriate body to design and build a truly equitable and inclusive international tax administration architecture,” said The Bahamas’ Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senator the Hon. L. Ryan Pinder, during his feature address to the closing ceremony of a recently concluded The UWI Institute of International Relations’ (IIR) Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean (DAOC) workshop. Entitled ‘Caribbean Small States and the Diplomacies of Global Financial Regulation’, the one-day DAOC workshop was held virtually on October 18th, 2024. A total of 14 learners participated, hailing from foreign ministries of The Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname, as well as regional and other organizations.

Senator Pinder, who plays a leading national and regional role on global financial regulation-related matters, expressed the view that “[t]he Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development cannot declare legitimacy for developing ‘universal outputs’ while decision-making and membership remain exclusive. We need a clean slate. The United Nations must now direct international tax policymaking as it has customarily been a more inclusive body for developing countries concerning international taxation.”

In this regard, Senator Pinder hailed the passage on December 22, 2023 of United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution 78/230 that calls for the promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the UN. He also underscored the urgency for stronger action on “a number of practical issues in order to strengthen international tax cooperation while also addressing development goals.”

In reflecting on the successful delivery of this first-of-its-kind workshop, The DAOC’s Manager Dr. Nand C. Bardouille called attention to the timely and topical nature of the training. He noted, “The training sought to provide participants with an understanding of the intersection of Caribbean diplomacy and the global financial governance framework.” Dr. Bardouille said of the five-unit workshop, “It examined the role of Caribbean nations in the evolving landscape of international financial governance, the impact of global financial regulations on the region and the diplomatic strategies Caribbean countries are employing to navigate these challenges.”

Ms. Alicia D. Nicholls, an international trade and finance specialist, served as the workshop Facilitator. Ms. Nicholls said: “Now more than ever, a crescendo of voices is critiquing the current global financial regulatory status quo as being unfit for the purpose of sustainable development. It is not simply a case of Caribbean small States being able to adapt, but to lead, to engage and be change-makers to ensure that any new global financial regulatory dispensation centres our needs.”

Ms. Nicholls also noted that the workshop is a meaningful and an important regional capacity-building step, which is geared towards training officials to help drive change in global financial regulation. She concluded, “It is essential that Caribbean governments continue to invest in training and capacity building in areas such as global financial regulation.”

Mr. Jivaan Bennett, a tax attorney, guest lectured unit 3 of the workshop—focused on the Caribbean diplomat and the global tax regulatory landscape. By way of Mr. Bennett’s session, workshop participants learned the basics of tax law and about some of the fast-evolving global tax initiatives, including pertinent developments in the UN.

Acting IIR Director Dr. Annita Montoute, who delivered welcome remarks during the module’s opening ceremony, noted, “The area of global financial governance is of significant interest and concern to the Caribbean; through this workshop, we are addressing one of the top priorities of regional governments.”

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Republic of Suriname to Republic of France, dr. ir. Nawin Ryan Nannan, who spoke on behalf of participants, commended The DAOC for formulating and delivering the workshop. Ambassador Nannan said the training lends to the Caribbean region’s efforts to “advocate for fair and equitable tax policies on a global scale, ensuring that our voices are heard in international discussions.”

The DAOC recognized the learning-related achievement of this cohort with the conferral of Certificates of Achievement, at the end of the workshop’s closing ceremony, to all participants.

To access Senator Pinder’s statement, please click here.

END

About the Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean

The DAOC is the Caribbean's premier professional development-oriented diplomatic studies centre. An integral part of The University of the West Indies’ Institute of International Relations (IIR), it was established in 2014. The DAOC has a primary teaching mandate in the area of diplomatic studies, offering short, highly specialized training modules in the broad field of diplomatic studies. For Caribbean professionals seeking to expand their capabilities to advance an international career, the DAOC is a trusted educational partner. Combining a world-class suite of curricular offerings, which align with topical policy and learning trends, with a programme of advocacy and partnerships regarding the relationship between diplomacy and the Caribbean, the Diplomatic Academy provides a unique setting for stakeholders to deepen diplomatic skills/knowledge and enhance policy expertise.

The DAOC has yielded substantial and complementary benefit to the IIR, which was established in 1966 by agreement between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of Switzerland.

Integral to the DAOC's mission is its commitment to help close human resources capacity gaps in international affairs and diplomacy in the Caribbean, by providing capacity-building and skills development training in diplomacy to up and coming diplomats and to aspiring diplomats from the Caribbean Region. This diplomatic learning and training facility also strengthens the University's capacities for research/analysis, knowledge‐sharing, advocacy, and partnerships and dialogue on the relationship between diplomacy and the Caribbean broadly conceived, with the goal of helping to facilitate policy-relevant awareness-raising on international affairs issues of import (and that are topical) to the Region.

The Diplomatic Academy derives its character from its global outlook, real-world impact, and Caribbean mindedness which, in sum, constitute The DAOC Advantage™. For more information, please visit: https://sta.uwi.edu/daoc.

About The University of the West Indies

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier, higher education institution. One of only two regional universities in the world, it comprises five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE).

 

Learn more at www.uwi.edu

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