







n 2015, the Mbeki Panel on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) unveiled a truth that shook the continent: Africa was losing over $50 billion every year through illicit financial flows, all these are resources that could have transformed education, health, and infrastructure. Reports by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), UNCTAD and TJNA in recent years have underscored that these amounts are even higher in 2025. The report did more than expose a crisis; it offered a roadmap for reclaiming Africa’s wealth and strengthening domestic resource mobilization.
A decade later, that call for action still resonates, but it now meets a generation ready to act. The Youth for Tax Justice Network (YTJN) represents this renewed energy. It demonstrates the work young people are doing to advance the Mbeki Report’s vision through advocacy, policy dialogue, and youth-led campaigns that push for greater transparency, fair taxation, and accountability across Africa and beyond.
C’est dans cette optique que le Youth for Tax Justice Network (YTJN) propose le Concours Panafricain de Jeunes en Arts Créatifs, une initiative qui vise à mobiliser la créativité de la jeunesse africaine afin de stimuler des idées novatrices et une prise de conscience populaire sur des enjeux clés de la gouvernance économique tels que la dette souveraine, la ZLECAf, le financement climatique, la récupération d’actifs et la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur la coopération fiscale internationale.
Uganda’s participation in the UNFCCC process continues to affirm our unwavering commitment to global climate action, sustainable development, and resilience building. As one of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Uganda remains steadfast in advocating for fairness, equity, and access to finance, technology, and capacity building under the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC).
We recognize that the youth of Southern Africa represent an immense reservoir of energy, creativity, and potential that is critical to the continued progress and prosperity of our communities. As present leaders and change-makers of our region, we have a vital role to play in addressing the complex social, political, economic, and environmental challenges that we face. We have a role to complement our governments, the private sector, and all developmental actors to ensure access to quality and affordable education for the SADC child.
YTJN intends to once again collaborate with KYMCA to hold public hearings for the Bill with the citizens and the Assembly and then have the MCAs debate the Bill in the Assembly. This Bill once passed into law is expected to address youth unemployment, insufficient domestic resource mobilization, food insecurity, double taxation of youth operating in small and medium enterprises, teenage pregnancies, skillset mismatch amongst the youth, limited youth participation in formulation of policies and laws at County level among others.
Delegates at the 3rd Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC3) continued working toward the development of a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. Friday’s discussions focused on Article 11 on capacity-building and technical assistance, the digitalization of tax administration, sustainability and funding, roles of the Secretariat and COP, and updates from Workstream II on cross-border services.