aNGOs Statement «on Innovative Sources of Financing for Development»

February 2006

The enlarged « quadripartite» group, that includes Algeria, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Spain and France, has been working since the beginning of 2004 on propositions for innovative development funding mechanisms, including international taxation mechanisms. . More than 100 countries signed on to the « New York Declaration on Action against Hunger and Poverty », in September 2004 signalling initial support from the international community for the idea of launching such mechanisms.

In September 2005, 79 States supported the launching of a pilot mechanism in the form of a ‘solidarity contribution’ on plane tickets in a new statement titled the « Declaration on Innovative Sources of Financing Development ». France and Chile have already adopted a plane ticket tax, to be launched in 2006. The Paris conference on innovative mechanisms must be a new step in this process, by gathering together all the States which support this process.

In September 2005, a broad coalition of civil society organisations representing thousands of NGOs and citizens movement from all over the world called upon States to join this initiative. They also demanded that certain conditions be fulfilled for the initiative to truly raise finance for development. On the occasion of the Paris conference, these organisations reiterate their call in the following statement :

1- Support to governmental initiatives in favour of international taxation

We take note of this intergovernmental initiative to implement a pilot mechanism of international taxation for development funding. We welcome the involvement of Head of States and governments working on additional and innovative mechanisms, specifically on international taxes. This is because it would create a useful precedent, an essential step to launch and bring legitimacy to more ambitious taxation mechanisms of a universal scope.

Along with a