Publications & Documents

This report looks back at 15 years of tax and development work at the OECD charting the evolution of the OECD’s engagement with, and inclusion of, developing countries in its tax work from 2009 to 2024. Beginning with the restructuring of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes in 2009, through the BEPS Actions, the establishment of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS and negotiations on the Two Pillar Solution to Address the Tax Challenges of the Digitalising Economy, it shows how OECD initiatives have combined the momentum for multilateral tax co-operation with the increased focus on taxation in international development, to develop a range of tools, instruments and forums with wide participation from developing counties. Accompanying the move to multilateralism in tax matters, the OECD has also sought to increase the availability of data on taxation, for example through the Global Revenue Statistics Database, and support more integrated tax and development policy thinking, for example on the taxation of development assistance. Concurrently there has been a continuous growth in the OECD capacity building activities, now reaching over 30,000 officials in over 100 countries annually. Notable among these initiatives is the groundbreaking joint OECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders initiative. The report features several case studies highlighting the impacts across various countries, as well as the wide range of partnerships forged by the OECD to harness taxation’s potential in advancing sustainable development.

The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) conducts peer reviews of individual members once every five to six years. Reviews seek to improve the quality and effectiveness of members’ development co-operation, highlighting good practices and recommending improvements. Fourteen years after joining the DAC in 2010, Korea is at a pivotal juncture as it rapidly scales up official development assistance (ODA) and assumes more global responsibility. The 2020 revision of the Framework Act signals a more coherent, cross-government approach to implement a larger budget. There is potential to bring greater coherence between domestic and international policies supported by legislation on sustainable development. This peer review provides a set of recommendations for Korea to strengthen strategic partnerships and dialogue with partners, and use the cross-government capacity review and evaluations to prioritise larger ODA volumes to implementers. It recommends that Korea increase the number of qualified staff working in development across government, delegate more authority to partner country offices, and increase its risk appetite to expand private sector operations.

By 2030, between five and twelve Small Island Developing States (SIDS) could lose eligibility to – i.e. graduate from – official development assistance (ODA) as they reach high-income status. Unless other sources of finance effectively fill the gap left by their high dependence on ODA, those SIDS may suffer socio-economic setbacks and be worse-off after graduation. This may have broad negative consequences, given their geostrategic importance and role in the preservation of oceans and biodiversity. To help SIDS 'graduate to success', donors should use multidimensional vulnerability indices (MVIs) to better tailor their support, and engage with them through new graduation strategies.

These Development Co-operation Principles for Relevant and Effective Support to Media and the Information Environment are a product of the Development Assistance Committee’s Network on Governance. The Principles aim to respond to the need to ensure that the international response to the crisis in the media sector fits better in a rapidly changing information environment. The Principles were informed by an inclusive consultation process and strongly driven by members and partner organisations.

The Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India is a regular publication on regional economic growth and development in Emerging Asia – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as China and India. It comprises three parts: a regional economic monitor, a thematic chapter addressing a major issue facing the region, and a series of country notes. The 2024 edition discusses the region’s macroeconomic challenges such as external headwinds, impacts of El Niño and elevated levels of private debt. The thematic chapter focuses on strategies to cope with more frequent disasters. Emerging Asia is among the world’s most disaster-prone regions, and the threat of disasters, such as floods, storms, earthquakes and droughts, is increasing. The report explores how countries can reduce disaster risks and improve resilience by developing a comprehensive approach involving policy measures such as improving governance and institutional capacity, ensuring adequate budgets and broadening financing options, strengthening disaster-related education, improving land planning, investing in disaster-resilient infrastructure and disaster-related technology, improving health responses, and facilitating the role of the private sector.

This paper examines the interactions between the 2020-23 Sahelian coups and the trajectories of jihadism and insecurity, covering three countries: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. First, it examines pre-coup trends in violence. Second, the paper finds that coup-makers’ policy choices have accelerated the worsening of violence beyond the pre-coup baseline trend, especially when coup-makers authorise new actors to commit violence, although trends in violence remain somewhat erratic and are even more complex at the sub-national level. Third, it offers an ambivalent finding on the impact of the withdrawal of the French Operation Barkhane following Mali’s second coup in 2021. Finally, the paper discusses the apparent strategies of the region’s two main jihadist groups, which have largely continued their pre-coup strategies, but have also responded to new conflict actors and pursued certain opportunities for increased territorial influence.

This report looks back at TIWB’s achievements from July 2022 to December 2023. Chapter 1 describes TIWB in the evolving international taxation and development context. Chapter 2 discusses TIWB programmes and operations. Chapter 3 provides information on current and future areas of TIWB technical assistance. Chapter 4 highlights results obtained over the past year. Chapter 5 describes TIWB participation at international events and the initiative’s communication efforts. Finally, Chapter 6 sets out the work plan for the year and provides an overview of the previous year’s objectives and performance.