ISLP-UK Intern Rhiannon Phillips attends ISLP Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development IGF in Paris, France.
The ISLP-UK Office have a well established intern program giving students and/or trainee lawyers a great opportunity for someone who is interested in gaining experience in the NGO sector, developing their research skills, and getting exposed to how lawyers can engage in international pro bono work.
Yesterday Rhiannon was available to attend the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development where ISLP chaired a round table discussion. James Reynolds, Tax Focus Area Director and Katherine Mulhern, ISLP ED also attended.
Rhiannon has put together a few notes on the trip which you can read below:
The purpose of the roundtable discussion that ISLP had organised in collaboration with IGF (Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development) was to determine and identify the issues with tax treaties in general and specifically relating to the mining sector. The discussion was a dialogue, and covered issues like:
relating to bilateral tax treaties,
how international and regional initiatives address treaty issues
how we can best respond to the treaty issues, challenges and initiatives that we can prioritise
There were attendees and delegates from various companies and organisations, including OECD, Minsters from Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Malawi, Mongolia etc- and from various law firms. A big thanks to Simmons & Simmons for hosting the meeting! We looked to discuss the Baseline of issues, the activities that we should be organising on an international level, and the outcomes of our discussions and activities. Ultimately, we came to a conclusion of what the next steps should be, in order to combat issues within double tax treaties and treaties specifically relating to the mining sector- and where the next discussion could take us!
Rhiannon said:
“Attending the Tax Treaties and the Mining Sector forum was truly inspiring. Being able to listen and watch some of the most expert minds discuss and compile issues surrounding global tax treaties, made me feel incredibly positive about what change is to come, and the coordination of responses.
The round table discussion was extremely well organised by James Reynolds, who paneled the event and led the discussion into some incredibly interesting areas of tax, relating directly to the mining and extraction sector, as well as double tax treaties and what initiatives could help the challenges developing and OEC countries face. As an intern, I felt extremely lucky and honoured to be able to take on board such information that is so pivotal to international development, and which has provoked my own ideas and thoughts on such important issues.
This only reflects my entire experience as an intern with ISLP, being privy to projects and development that can make a global difference and enabling developing countries and civil societies to implement these changes.
I have learnt so many invaluable lessons, and thank you on a whole for allowing me to be part of the team!”