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On the Ground
Explore our work with partners, globally and locally, to tackle social and economic injustice using a human rights lens.
We Intervened in a Landmark Hearing Before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Fiscal Policy and Poverty
Last Friday, we participated in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ historic hearing on “Fiscal and Economic Policies in the Face of Poverty and Structural Inequality” in Miami, Florida, marking a milestone for the region in recognising that fiscal architecture is indeed a human rights issue.
Representing GI-ESCR, our Programme Officer on Economic Justice and Climate Finance, Ezequiel Steuermann, stressed that Latin America and the Caribbean remain the most unequal region in the world, not by accident, but as a result of deeply regressive fiscal systems, under-taxed wealth, entrenched opacity, and international tax cooperation rules that continue to fail the Global South. With aprox. USD 300 billion is lost every year to evasion, equivalent to 27% of regional wealth hidden offshore. The lack of fiscal space in Latin America and the Caribbean is not a technical limitation; it is a political choice that blocks the realisation of economic, social, and cultural rights.
In his intervention, Steuermann highlighted that under Article 26 of the American Convention, States have binding duties to mobilise the maximum of available resources, including through international cooperation, and to refrain from policies that undermine other countries’ ability to guarantee rights. He emphasised that, according to Inter-American jurisprudence, human rights holders are individuals, not corporations, and therefore arguments about a supposed “corporate right to privacy” cannot be used to obstruct essential measures such as the automatic exchange of information, public beneficial ownership registries, or country-by-country reporting.
This contribution comes at a crucial moment, as countries in the region are actively shaping the negotiations of the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. We reiterated our call for the Commission to take a historic step and adopt a thematic resolution clarifying States’ fiscal obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights, guiding concrete measures to strengthen transparency and curb illicit financial flows, and helping to align global tax cooperation with international human rights law.
You can watch the full intervention here.
GI-ESCR will continue to work with partners across the region and globally to ensure that fiscal justice becomes a cornerstone for equality, democracy, and the rule of law.
