A war of words has broken out between the OECD and the UN ahead of a meeting next month that will debate how the New-York based organisation could play a larger role in international tax affairs.
The Paris-based OECD has led discussions for decades but it has increasingly faced criticism from developing countries, such as Nigeria and India, which argue its global tax policies favour the richer economies that make up its membership.
A report published earlier this month by UN secretary-general António Guterres backed developing economies’ complaints, saying the OECD’s initiatives did not “adequately address the needs and priorities” of countries other than advanced economies. Guterres said the UN should have a greater say in global tax affairs to make co-operation between nations “fully inclusive and more effective”.