The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki Moon, has appointed Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, Member of the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters. The four year appointment, which is on a part-time basis (requiring attendance in a 5 day meeting once a year), was conveyed in a letter dated 20th August 2009, and signed by the UN Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang.
The mandate of the committee is to
(I) Keep under review and update as necessary the United Nations Model Double Taxation Convention between Developed and Developing Countries and the Manual for the negotiation of bilateral tax treaties between developed and developing countries;
(ii) Provide a framework for dialogue with a view to enhancing and promoting international tax cooperation among national tax authorities;
(iii) Consider how new and merging issues could affect international cooperation in tax matters and develop assessments, commentaries and appropriate recommendations;
(iv) Make recommendations on capacity-building and the provision of technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition;
(v) Give special attention to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in dealing with all of the above issues
Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui Okauru is the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Chairman, Joint Tax Board- Nigeria’s umbrella organization made up of representatives of tax administrators at state and federal levels. As Executive Chairman of the FIRS, she has since 2004 been leading a quiet revolution in Nigeria’s tax reforms. Within the period, FIRS under her leadership has consistently exceeded its tax collection targets through active deployment of ICT, capacity building, emphasis on professionalism and enhanced staff welfare programmes. Mrs Ifueko Omoigui Okauru brings to this appointment experience in many other international assignments from the World Bank, United Nations Development Fund UNDP, earlier UN tax assignments and several international conferences. In the last five years, she has been engaged in negotiations and agreements in tax issues among which are the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) and tax treaties with South Korea, Spain, Russia and other countries. A First Class degree holder in Accounting from the University of Lagos, an M.Sc. Management Science from the Imperial College, London, Ifueko Omoigui Okauru holds two National Awards as Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, Member of the Federal Republic, MFR, Government Personality of the Year awarded by ThisDay newspapers in 2007 amongst other awards received. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Accountants and a Chartered Tax Practitioner.
Following the first meeting of the UN Committee of Tax experts from 19th-23rd October,2009 she was appointed Coordinator of the Sub-Committee on Capacity Building. The mandate of this sub-committee is to trigger and help address areas for, capacity building in accordance with the Committee's mandate, in relation to developing countries, including least developing countries.
By these appointments, Mrs Ifueko Omoigui Okauru would with other global experts on tax matters discuss and fashion international policies in taxation for greater international cooperation and human development. She is married to Mr. Asishana Okauru
Dr John Edemode,
Special Adviser on Communication to Executive Chairman
Federal Inland Revenue Service,