Trusteeship Council 10, 2013

Speakers: Mr. Kieran Holmes, Revenue Administration and Tax Policy Commissioner General, Office Burundais des Recettes; Ms. Eri Komkai, Japan Internaltional Cooperation Agency; Ms. Jaria Hobman, Liberia; Representatives of Norway and Nigeria

Attendees: Iman Yashruti, Alyssa Strasser, Marli Kasdan, Janice Wong, Norah L. Crossnohere

Written by Norah L. Crossnohere

Peace Building remains a high priority in terms of sustainable development .

Domestic resource mobilization represents a key function of the Peace Building Commission as it allows countries to utilize their resources as a source of funding. When done correctly, resource mobilization strengthens the social contract between governments and citizens in post-conflict areas.

Central to fostering resource mobilization is increasing revenue collection. Due to weak governance and infrastructure during times of conflict, revenues collected are often minimal, or, when they are collected, are lost due to corruption in the political system. By implementing a stronger system of revenue collection, Rwanda increased its revenue from $300 billion to $527 billion between 2009 and 2012. Such successes are only attainable when the highest levels of government make fiscal independence a priority, however.

Despite the ‘resource curse,’ whereby countries that are rich in non-renewable natural resources tend to have less economic growth, possessing resources comes with many financial advantages if resource extraction and marketing are handled appropriately. By sharing best practices and encouraging cooperation between citizens and their states, countries can earn a fair income for their resources, and use this income for development programs and peace building.

Transparency of revenue collection and natural resource management is key to increasing mobilization and peace building. Not only should states seek to make their processes of tax collection clear-cut and honest, but it is also recommended that states increase their presence as ‘watchdogs’ to monitor resource exploitation.

Edited By; Wayne Dean Doyle