Together with Joseph Stiglitz and Martín Guzmán, Pope Francis will boost the debate on the taxation of multinational and ultra rich

In a context of growing economic inequality and pressures on international cooperation, the Vatican will host for the first time a high level event on fiscal justice. Under the title “Fiscal Justice and Solidarity: Towards an inclusive and sustainable common home”, the Pope Francis He will head the meeting next Thursday, February 13, accompanied by key figures of the global policy and economy, among whom the former Minister of Economy will be, Martín Guzmán.

Organized by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (Pass) and the Independent Commission for International Corporate Taxation Reform (ICRICT)the event will bring together political leaders, economists and tax expertswith the objective of addressing the role of tax systems in reducing inequality and sustainable development.

The meeting will have the possible participation of the president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvaand an recorded message from the president of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. In addition, among the confirmed speakers are the former president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki; the former Senegal prime minister, Amina Touroé; The Nobel Prize in Economics, Joseph Stiglitz; The economist and former minister Martín Guzmán; and the director of the EU Fiscal Observatory, Gabriel Zucman.

The event will be broadcast live from 8:30 am (Rome time) and can be followed through YouTube on the official channel of the Casina Pío IV.

A key debate in the midst of the fight against fiscal elusion

The event takes on special relevance at a time when The ultra rich and large corporations have intensified their strategies to avoid taxesaffecting the collection of states and limiting investments in education, health and infrastructure. According to the organizers, the meeting seeks to counteract the influence of these actors on global fiscal policies and reinforce international cooperation efforts.

“Despite the recent disruptions to multilateralism and the growing influence of new oligarchs that threaten global stability, a window of opportunity for fiscal justice is still open,” he said Joseph Stiglitzco -chair of the ICRICT.

“We are at a crossroads: we must redouble our efforts in multilateralism and international cooperation to build a society in which multinationals and super rich pay their fair part. We do not believe that surrendering is an option, ”added the economist, who has been a recurring critic of tax evasion and elusion.

For its part, the former Minister of Economy of Argentina, Martín Guzmánhe denounced that “there is an international movement to actively promote the tax avoidance of large multinational corporations,” in reference to the strategies used by technological and energy giants to minimize their tax burden.

Guzmán also pointed against the former US president, Donald Trumpand his possible return to power: “Trump gives more flight to this move, contradicting himself with decisions he made during his first presidency.” As for the position of the Argentine government, he said that the president Javier Milei “It is dedicated to doing the choirs of the choruses that others are writing with real international power.”

Towards a new Global Fiscal Cooperation Framework

In a context in which many states seek to balance their public accounts after the global economic crisis, one of the most relevant initiatives in the struggle for fiscal justice is the United Nations Framework Convention on International Fiscal Cooperation.

This proposal, promoted by countries of the Global South, aims establish a more equitable tax system worldwideguaranteeing that both multinationals and great fortunes fairly contribute to the fiscal resources of each country.

“The international tax system touches the core of the capacity of societies for the development of education, health, science and infrastructure. The development of true freedom and true meritocracy, ”said Guzmán.

He added: “Instead of aiming to have more countries similar to Sweden, which is among the most developed societies in the world, these groups are working for more unequal societies, with more power for those who are already powerful and greater muddy of the peoples . We work against that and favor the development of peoples. ”

The event in the Vatican will seek lay the foundations for new global fiscal policiesthat allow us to move towards a more fair and efficient tax system, in which the evasion and tax avoidance do not remain a privilege of the most powerful.