ATI General Assembly 2025 kicks off in Addis Ababa
On Tuesday 22 July, the 2025 ATI General Assembly officially opened in Addis Ababa. Bringing together over 70 participants onsite and more than 40 online, the event marks a milestone: the 10th anniversary of the ATI and a new chapter for the initiative following the launch of the Seville Declaration on Domestic Revenue Mobilisation (DRM) at FFD4.
We call on all ATI members to endorse the ATI Seville Declaration on DRM and its ambitious goals. Together, we must build tax systems that are fair, inclusive, and capable of financing the development priorities our citizens depend on.
Opening remarks by Martina Metz, Director for Development Economics and Development Banks, Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany .
I hope this Assembly marks a decisive step forward – one that brings new initiatives and renewed commitments. Together, we can turn the vision of Sevilla into concrete reality and ensure a more just and prosperous future for our nations.
Opening remarks by Kayula Chimfwembe, Assistant Director, Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Zambia.
22 July, Addis Ababa. The 2025 General Assembly comes at a critical moment for international tax cooperation and the global tax and development agenda. The aftermath of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) coincides with a landscape marked by shrinking fiscal space, rising debt, growing pressure on aid budgets, and global instability.
Against this background, the annual governance meeting of the initiative provides a platform for ATI members to reflect on progress, discuss emerging priorities, and strengthen collective action under the newly adopted Seville Declaration on Domestic Revenue Mobilisation.
Over three days, representatives from ATI members will engage in peer learning, technical exchanges, and policy dialogue on key issues in the tax and development field.
These include progressive taxation to reduce inequalities, tax fairness from environmental and gender perspectives, DRM in the context of informality and extractive industries, and tax gap estimation, among others.
The event will also provide networking opportunities and a space for members to present their recent work on DRM.
By convening policy makers, tax administrators, development partners, and international tax experts, the ATI General Assembly creates a valuable space for cooperation, dialogue, and joint action on DRM.
Let us deepen our individual and collective commitments to building tax systems that are truly fair, inclusive, and capable of financing our ambitious development agendas. Let's demonstrate how the ATI can turn the critical messages of FfD4 into tangible progress, a much-needed progress to deliver the 2030 Agenda.
Opening remarks by Peter Ringsted, ATI Co-Chair, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
About the Addis Tax Initiative (ATI)
The Addis Tax Initiative (ATI)'s vision is tax systems that work for people and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve this, the ATI promotes fair and effective DRM, policy coherence, and the social contract through partnerships and knowledge building.
Founded in 2015 during the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development, the ATI has supported its partner countries over the past decade in implementing the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
Through strengthened cooperation, knowledge building, and policy dialogue, the ATI has played a vital role in promoting effective DRM as a cornerstone of sustainable development. With renewed momentum, the ATI and its recently launched Seville Declaration on DRM will continue to do so within the new framework of the Compromiso de Sevilla.
As a multi-stakeholder partnership, the ATI brings together partner countries, development partners, and supporting organisations. This unique collaboration has proven that diverse actors can align on fundamental principles of DRM cooperation with global relevance.
The event is organised by the International Tax Compact (ITC), in its role as the facilitator of the ATI Secretariat, in close cooperation with the ATI Steering Committee. The ITC is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, co-funded by the European Union, and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).