Financial Transparency Coalition, Perkumpulan Prakarsa, and Transparency International Indonesia

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Clara Simpson
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1 Please join Financial Transparency Coalition, Perkumpulan Prakarsa, and Transparency International Indonesia for Many Voices, One Purpose: the 6 th Financial Transparency Conference October Sari Pan Pacific Jakarta hotel Jalan M.H.Thamrin 6, Jakarta 10340, Indonesia Join civil society, government officials, journalists, and experts as we discuss illicit financial flows and their effect on Indonesia, the Asia-Pacific region and the world. In this two-day event, we ll collaborate, spark debate, and explore ways to stop the illicit financial flows that are stifling our economic growth and development. Conference speakers and participants will discuss a wide array of issues in illicit financial flows, including the Post-2015 process, raising revenue in an age of tax incentives, open data and making financial information public, and what we know about gender and illicit flows. Please visit our website for more information, and to register for the conference. Selected speakers include: Ahok Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Governor of Jakarta Aruna Roy, Co-Founder of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan Antoine Deltour, Lux Leaks whistleblower Svitlana Zalishchuk, Ukraine Parliament Chandra Triayu, Statoil Sugeng Bahagijo, Executive Director of International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development Francisco Beiner, Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations Mae Buenaventura, Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development Alex Cobham, Tax Justice Network Wahyu Dhyatmika, Investigative Reporter for Tempo Magazine Jo Marie Griesgraber, Executive Director of New Rules for Global Finance Said Imran, Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPTAK) Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of UN Economic Commission for Africa (invited) Malou Mangahas, Executive Director of Philippines Center for Investigative Journalism Jean Ross, Ford Foundation Pascal Saint-Amans, Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (invited) Titi Soentoro, Aksi! Representative, African Tax Administration Forum (invited) Grant Wardell Johnson, KPMG Iftekhar Zaman, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh

2 Conference Agenda Tuesday, 20 October 8:45 9:30 Registration 9:30 10:00 Welcoming Remarks Keynote Address from MKSS Founder Aruna Roy 10:00 11:30 Plenary Session What You Need to Know About Illicit Financial Flows, the Scale of the Problem and What Can Be Done We know illicit financial flows are a problem, but how big are they? What do available estimates actually mean? And what can be done to stop them? Speakers will share the latest research and revelations on illicit flows and innovative new measures for cracking down on them. 11:30 11:45 Coffee/Tea 11:45 12:45 Breakout Sessions Gender and the Global Financial System: What Do We Know? What is the impact of gender on illicit financial flows and the global financial system? We know that when governments are lacking revenue, women, youth, and other marginalized groups disproportionately suffer the consequences. Why is that? Gender is a factor along the entire illicit financial flows chain from extracting the money to moving the money, to the impact of the loss of the money. During this interactive session, participants will take a fresh look at this link and outline potential genderdifferentiated approaches to addressing various aspects of illicit flows. Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together: Uniting the Extractive, Budget and Tax Communities for Greater Impact Transparency and accountability watchdogs have focused on holding governments accountable for how budgets are spent, but these efforts are not typically part of a larger narrative that includes looking at how that revenue is raised. Similarly, extractive industries transparency and tax justice organizations do not always link these revenues to responsible and equitable budget monitoring, and tax is often seen as a technical issue that is inaccessible by the public. Raising and spending public funds both have a very real impact on ordinary citizens lives and on improving public services. We hope to bring together diverse groups to ensure these conversations do not continue in silos, and to strengthen the broader movement for financial transparency.

3 12:45 14:00 Lunch 14:00 15:30 Plenary Session Anonymous Companies Revealed: An Update on the Growing Momentum behind Beneficial Ownership Transparency Beneficial owners the individual(s) who ultimately control or profit from a company are able to hide their identity behind anonymous or phantom companies and banking secrecy laws. Hidden company ownership contributes largely to the nearly $1 trillion that leaves developing countries illicitly every year. It allows tax evaders, criminals, and corrupt officials to move money undetected, often into banks in the U.S. and Europe. Recently, an increasing number of countries have committed to registers of beneficial ownership. Speakers will discuss commitments from the UK, Ukraine, Denmark and elsewhere, and review where G20 countries stand on leaders' commitment to beneficial ownership principles last year in Brisbane. 15:30 16:00 Coffee/Tea 16:00 17:30 Plenary Session How Lux Leaks and Swiss Leaks Changed the Game: Journalism, Whistleblowers, and Freedom of Information Laws Because basic information isn't publicly available, journalists working with whistleblowers have played a pivotal role in investigating illicit financial flows. But their efforts are increasingly under attack by regressive freedom of information laws and the persecution of whistleblowers. Meanwhile, corporations are pushing back on new transparency measures with arguments about confidentiality and commercial sensitivity. Speakers will share their experiences with recent high profile leaks, efforts to make information public, and press freedoms. 17:30 19:00 Break 19:00 22:00 Dinner

4 Wednesday, 21 October 9:00 9:30 Registration 9:30 11:00 Plenary Session Raising Revenue in an Age of Tax Incentives Domestic resource mobilization has become key to ensuring that developing countries have sustainable revenue streams to invest in the drivers of development, like roads, schools, and healthcare. But tax amnesties, incentives, and special tax rulings are standing in the way, making it harder to establish predictable and sustainable tax bases. Speakers will share their experiences tracking presidential candidates' tax information in Indonesia, a recent tax amnesty in the United States, cracking down on "black money" in India, and explore the benefits of cooperation over competition when working to boost domestic resources. 11:00 11:30 Keynote Address from Ahok Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Governor of Jakarta 11:30 12:00 Coffee/Tea 12:00 13:00 Breakout Sessions Are we ready to go public? Lessons from the Open Data Community Governments are committing to public registries of beneficial owners and companies are agreeing to break out their annual reports by country, but what form should the information take so civil society can access it easily and find out if there are dirty deeds afoot? Taking as a starting point the recent International Open Data Charter, the Open Data and Financial Transparency communities will come together for a work session to craft a shared agenda. Countering Illicit Financial Flows in the Extractive Industries: Accountability, Transparency, and Access to Information Weak institutions, opacity, and lack of accountability has turned resource wealth from opportunity to curse in many countries. Increasing transparency and access to information in the extractive industries would empower citizens and governments in their efforts to counter illicit financial flows and boost domestic resource mobilization. Speakers in this session will discuss information-driven solutions to fight corruption and increase accountability in the extractive sectors, such as country-by-country reporting and making links with the open data movement. 13:00 14:30 Lunch

5 14:30 16:00 Plenary Session Making the Rules of the Global Financial System: A Whole New World or the Same Old Game? What are the challenges ahead for curbing illicit financial flows and making the global financial system work for everyone? This year has witnessed a number of high profile efforts to set new rules for the global economy, among them the Third Financing for Development Conference and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda, the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, and the OECD s various new tax standards. Speakers will discuss who makes the financial rules and whether a new and more inclusive regime is necessary to combat elusive illicit cash. 16:00 16:30 Closing Reflections 16:30 Side Meetings with Coffee/Tea Available 19:00 Dinner

Introduction. I. Background

Introduction. I. Background High Level Panel (HLP) on Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) from Africa Briefing Note on the ongoing efforts to curb Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) from Africa Introduction The aim of the briefing note is