![]() In fact, nearly one-third of Mongolians live in poverty, while another 15% are perilously close to falling below this line. Mongolia is sometimes referred to as “Mine-golia” because the country possesses trillions of dollars worth of copper, gold, silver, and coal deposits, along with other minerals.ĭespite having opened up its natural resources to multinational corporations for decades, the country has yet to reap the rewards. This deprives governments of money that would otherwise be spent on education, health care, transportation, electricity, shelter, and other services. Global tax evasion costs countries more than $500 billion annually, with developing countries losing more than $100 billion. If the $228 million was collected at the time it was owed, Mongolia could have doubled its spending on health care and education. Mongolia recovered $228 million in evaded taxes from the mining company Turquoise Hill and prevented the company from writing off $1.5 billion in taxes going forward. ![]() ![]() 3 Key Things You Should Know About Mongolia’s Tax Win The successful outcome shows that curbing tax avoidance can facilitate the global fight against poverty. The case happened to be the initial fruits of a campaign to strengthen the country’s tax system through a collaboration with the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations Development Programme, and other groups. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.So it was a big deal when Mongolia - not long after a financial crisis - announced that it had recovered $228 million in owed taxes from a multinational mining giant in 2019. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. She teaches at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, and was previously Secretary General of Amnesty International from 2001 to 2009 and head of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) from 2012 to 2019. Ms Khan is the first woman to hold this position since the establishment of the mandate in 1993. ![]() Irene Khan was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression on 17 July 2020. The Special Rapporteur has been in touch with the Government on this matter for several years. “I urge the government to abolish criminal libel, which has no place in a democracy,” Khan said. Noting that Maria Ressa continues to face several other charges, including for cyber libel, Khan called on the authorities to withdraw all charges against her. Maria Ressa and Rappler denied the charges and said the transactions involved legitimate financial mechanisms. If convicted, the Nobel laureate would have faced up to 10 years imprisonment and fines. Ressa and Rappler were charged by the former administration in the Philippines of evading tax payments after the news outlet raised foreign funding. “Journalistic work, especially journalistic expression about public and political issues, is an integral part of the right to freedom of expression and guaranteed by international human rights law,” Khan said. “The acquittal of Maria Ressa and Rappler is a victory for media freedom as well as justice,” said Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the freedom of expression and opinion. GENEVA (19 January 2023) – The UN expert on freedom of expression today welcomed the decision by a Philippines’ court to acquit journalist and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and the Rappler news outlet of tax evasion charges.
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