Commonwealth Secretariat press release

OECD-Commonwealth Working Group Continues Its Discussion on Harmful Tax Competition

12 February 2001

The Joint Working Group of jurisdictions from the Commonwealth and the OECD, established in Barbados, will continue its discussions in Paris on 1-2 March 2001.

The Working Group, jointly chaired by Mr Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Mr Tony Hinton, Australia's Ambassador to the OECD in Paris, will focus its discussions on the remit provided to it in Barbados and, in particular, will attempt to find "a mutually acceptable political process by which these principles (of transparency, non-discrimination and effective exchange of information) could be turned into commitments". The Group will also examine how to promote a framework within which the idea of a more inclusive global dialogue on tax issues might be progressed.

The members of the Working Group are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, the Cook Islands, France, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, the Netherlands, Vanuatu and the United Kingdom.
_________________________________

For further information, journalists are invited to contact Nick Bray, Head of Media Relations at the OECD in Paris on (33) 1 4524 8090 or e-mail nick.bray@oecd.org, or Joel Kibazo, Director of the Information and Public Affairs Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London on +44 (0)20 7747 6380 or e-mail j.kibazo@commonwealth.int

This Press Release is issued jointly by the OECD and Commonwealth Secretariat.











01/09 12 February 2001


ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6385/6 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int