SINGAPORE’S EXPLANATION OF VOTE BY MS PHOEBE LUO, COUNSELLOR (POLITICAL), AFTER THE VOTE ON DRAFT RESOLUTION A/C.2/78/L.18 “PROMOTION OF INCLUSIVE AND EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL TAX COOPERATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS” AT THE 78TH UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SECOND COMMITTEE, 22 NOVEMBER 2023

Thank you Chair,

1 Singapore thanks the African Group for tabling this draft resolution, and Egypt for facilitating the negotiations.  We recognise that the negotiations on this resolution have not been easy given the widely divergent views among Member States, but we were encouraged that many delegations engaged in the negotiations actively and constructively.

2 Singapore recognises the importance of this issue to many of our fellow developing countries.  We have taken the consistent position that we support the African Group’s objective of strengthening inclusive tax cooperation at the UN. We have also underlined that the UN has an important role to play in complementing the work done by existing platforms for international tax cooperation, including the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.  We therefore remain committed to working closely with the African Group on this matter.

3 Nevertheless, in order for our discussions at the UN to be productive and to deliver concrete outcomes for developing countries, we need a clear and common understanding of the existing gaps in international tax cooperation.  We also need to better define the UN’s role in addressing these challenges.  Finally, we need a clear understanding of the potential synergies between the various processes, which will help us to avoid overlapping processes. If we do not make the effort to develop greater clarity of these basic requirements, our collective efforts at the UN may not lead to concrete outcomes on the ground.

4 It is in this context that Singapore voted in favour of the UK’s amendments, which we view as adding value to the text of the resolution.  Although the amendment was not adopted, we decided to vote in favour of the resolution because we would like to continue the discussions with all delegations and build common ground.  We also believe that all the options outlined by the UN Secretary-General in his report (A/78/235), as well as other possible options not included in the report, should be carefully evaluated and considered by all Member States, before we decide on the option that would best serve our collective interests. 

5 While we have voted in favour of the resolution, we would like to put on record our concerns and reservations.  In our view, the resolution has prematurely decided that a framework convention is the best option to achieve inclusive and effective tax cooperation at the UN.  It remains unclear how a framework convention would address existing gaps and challenges in international tax cooperation.  We would need to carefully discuss the contents, scope, legal status, and other aspects of the proposed framework convention, which should not be pre-judged at this point. Our vote is not an endorsement of what may eventually emerge from future discussions. We would like to further emphasise that any decision-making process should avoid duplicative work, and truly take into account the real progress achieved on other platforms.

6 It is in this spirit that Singapore will continue to participate actively in the discussion of the ad-hoc intergovernmental committee.  We will continue to emphasise the importance of consensus-based decision-making, to ensure that the needs of all countries, large or small, are taken into account. At the same time, we are committed to playing a constructive role in the negotiations, and will work with all delegations to bridge the differences and build common ground. 

7 Thank you.

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