FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pretoria, South Africa – 23 September 2025 — The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reaffirming their shared commitment to advancing equitable and effective tax systems across Africa.
The agreement builds on a longstanding relationship between the two institutions. Over the years, ATAF and UNU-WIDER have worked together under the Addis Tax Initiative, focusing on strengthening transparency and accountability in tax expenditures through both East and West Africa cohorts. The partnership also extended to elevating African tax scholarship through ATAF’s African Tax Research Network (ATRN) which UNU-WIDER has supported and actively participated in.
The renewed MoU broadens cooperation into new areas such as data-driven research and analytics, joint policy briefs on emerging tax issues, contributions to the African Tax Outlook, and co-created training modules on tax gap estimation and compliance management. It also underscores the importance of ensuring that research and knowledge products are actively used by African policymakers.
Speaking at the signing, ATAF Executive Secretary, Ms. Mary Baine, said: “By renewing this MoU, ATAF and UNU-WIDER are not only continuing a strong partnership, but also charting a new phase of collaboration that is data-driven, research-focused, and policy-relevant. Together, we can provide African tax administrations with practical tools and knowledge that support domestic resource mobilisation and amplify Africa’s voice in global tax policy debates.”
Professor Kunal Sen, Director of UNU-WIDER, welcomed the strengthened partnership: “This collaboration connects UNU-WIDER’s global research expertise with ATAF’s practitioner knowledge and reach across its member states. By working together, we can help ensure that evidence-based insights translate into better tax policy and administration, contributing to fairer and more sustainable financing for development in Africa.”
The partnership will also support broader initiatives such as the Africa–Finland Partnership, where UNU-WIDER and ATAF are key actors, and strengthen cooperation with international and regional partners.
The MoU is valid until 2028, providing a framework for continued collaboration that links high-quality research with policy application and capacity development across Africa.
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Media Contacts:
For UNU-WIDER:
Marie-France Boucher
Communications Officer
Email: boucher@wider.unu.edu
For ATAF:
Ziggy Fikiri Nshimiyimana
Manager: Communications and Marketing
Email: fikirin@ataftax.org
For more information about UNU-WIDER’s work: www.wider.unu.edu
For more information about ATAF: www.ataftax.org
