President Macky Sall's candidacy for the office of UN Secretary-General places the fight against illicit financial flows among its priorities. Each year, the money that leaves developing countries through illegal channels or through tax avoidance exceeds what they receive in aid.

More money leaving than aid coming in. Africa loses about US$ 88.6 billion a year to illicit financial flows, the UN Conference on Trade and Development estimated in its 2020 report. That sum, drained through fraud or trade mis-invoicing, exceeds the aid and investment the continent receives. A country can levy tax and watch the revenue slip away before it reaches its budget.

Tax rules written by a club. The norms of international taxation were long decided at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the club of wealthy countries. The states that suffer most from tax avoidance thus apply rules they did not write. A company declares its profits where the tax is low, and the country where the value was produced collects nothing.

A convention to rebalance. In 2024, states opened at the United Nations the negotiation of a framework convention on international tax cooperation. It moves the writing of the rules to a forum where each state carries one vote, and submits to all what was decided among a few. The majority of countries regains a hand over revenue that funds its public services.

What the Secretariat can carry. The Secretary-General does not set taxes and does not prosecute fraud. He can support the convention now under negotiation, place illicit financial flows on the agenda of development, and remind the world that a sum diverted from a public budget is taken from the schools and clinics it would have funded.

Experience in multilateral negotiation. Twelve years as head of state and the chairmanship of the African Union in 2022 underpin these commitments. That experience explains why the vision statement filed with the United Nations frames its proposals as obligations: peace, security and development conceived together; a renewed multilateralism; stronger governance of the Organization.

Africa at its heart, the world in its sights.

UNCTAD's 2020 report on economic development in Africa and the negotiation of the United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation are public. Read all public positions at www.mackysall.net