Comprehensive policy advocacy across critical fiscal governance domains
YTJN engages across multiple critical domains of fiscal governance, advocating for policies that advance economic justice, transparency, and youth inclusion.
What we do:
We advocate for fair, progressive tax systems that broaden domestic revenue bases and reduce inequality. Our work includes campaigning against illicit financial flows (IFFs) and harmful tax practices, promoting corporate tax accountability, and pushing for beneficial ownership transparency. We engage parliamentarians, revenue authorities, and civil society to draft and amend tax laws, mobilise public support through digital campaigns, and submit alternative tax proposals.
Key Results
Our advocacy has produced the following concrete legislative wins in Uganda among others:
· Income Tax Amendment Act 2025 – Provides a three‑year tax holiday for youth startups. This is a direct outcome of YTJN’s 2022 petition to Parliament, submitted in collaboration with the Uganda National Youth Council.
· Stamp Duty Amendment Act 2025 – Removed stamp duty on mortgage deeds following YTJN’s alternative tax proposals. Enacted on 1 July 2025, the law lowers borrowing costs and is projected to boost economic growth from 6.4% to 7.0% (expanding the economy from UGX 222.5 trillion to UGX 250 trillion).
· Tax Procedures Amendment Code Act 2025 – Links National Identification Numbers and Business Registration Numbers to Tax Identification Numbers, expanding Uganda’s tax base. YTJN mobilised over 31,000 individuals through digital engagement and successfully influenced the final policy.
We also combat Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and push for corporate tax accountability, including public beneficial ownership registers.
What we do:
We shape international tax and financing rules by securing accreditation to UN negotiation processes, submitting written and joint civil society inputs, and providing technical briefings to national delegations. We co‑convene youth dialogues, produce outcome documents, and amplify youth priorities through media. We also represent youth within the UN Major Group for Children and Youth’s Financing for Development (FfD) constituency.
Key results (examples):
UN Tax Convention negotiations: YTJN holds accreditation to participate in the UN Tax Convention negotiations until 2027. Using this status, we have made submissions that shaped the draft text. For example, on 24 October 2025, the Co‑Leads’ draft incorporated provisions on fair allocation of taxing rights, curbing IFFs, and sustainable development – directly influenced by YTJN’s written and joint civil society submissions.
FfD4 Conference (Seville, July 2025): We are a member of the Financing for Development (FfD) constituency of the UN Major Group for Children and Youth. At the July 2025 FfD4 Conference in Seville, global leaders committed to reforming the international financial architecture and negotiating a UN Tax Convention. YTJN contributed by co‑convening the “Youth Championing New Paths” dialogue (March 2025), producing a youth‑driven outcome document presented at FfD4, and reaching over 300 online users through media engagements.
What we do:
We advocate for fair, transparent, and accountable debt management practices at national, regional, and global levels. Our work includes campaigning for the cancellation of odious and illegitimate debt – debt incurred without consent, for purposes contrary to citizens’ interests, or with knowledge of the lender. We push for comprehensive reform of the international debt architecture, including an independent and fair debt restructuring mechanism (beyond the G20 Common Framework), automatic standstills during crises, and stronger creditor accountability. We also support civil society and parliamentary efforts to audit public debt, legislate responsible borrowing, and exclude vulture funds from exploiting distressed nations.
Key results (examples):
What we do:
We provide technical assistance on public finance management (PFM) to regional bodies and national governments. We sit on technical working groups, support the domestication of model laws, draft legislative motions, and engage with parliamentary leadership to entrench transparency, participation, and accountability in fiscal governance.
Key results (examples):
SADC Technical Working Group on Trade, Finance and Investment: YTJN sits on the Technical Working Group on Trade, Finance and Investment. Our mandate is to provide technical assistance on public finance management, shaping discussions and decisions of the Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investments.
In Botswana, we are working to domesticate the SADC PFM Model Law. Key results include:
· A motion prepared to be tabled in Parliament to domesticate the Model Law.
· Ongoing work to develop a Budget Act incorporating the Model Law’s principles.
What we do:
We influence the design of AfCFTA protocols, particularly on women and youth in trade, and take up secretariat roles in national implementation committees. We analyse the revenue implications of tariff liberalisation, advocate for complementary domestic tax measures, and ensure youth‑led SMEs and digital trade are prioritised in implementation strategies.
Key results (examples):
YTJN influenced the language and subject matter of the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade.
Uganda national AfCFTA implementation: We currently serve as:
· Secretary to Uganda’s sub‑committee on Women and Youth in Trade of the AfCFTA National Implementation Strategy.
· Sit on Uganda’s committee on Digital Trade.
These committees are responsible for implementing AfCFTA in Uganda. Our Stamp Duty Amendment Act 2025 (removing stamp duty on mortgages) directly aligns with the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, demonstrating how regional advocacy translates into national policy.
We also analyse AfCFTA’s revenue implications, promote youth participation in cross‑border entrepreneurship, and advocate for harmonised fiscal rules to prevent a race‑to‑the‑bottom on corporate taxes.
What we do:
We co‑convene national and local climate conferences, serve on government climate finance working groups, and advocate for youth‑centred climate finance mechanisms. We train young people on climate financing, link environmental action to fiscal governance, and push for the Polluter Pays Principle and asset recovery as part of reparative justice.
Key results (examples): YTJN co‑hosted Uganda’s Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) in 2025 in collaboration with the National Youth Council, Green Africa Youth Organization, and Youth Climate Council. The outcome document from that conference directly influenced Uganda’s position at COP30.
As a result of our advocacy, YTJN was inducted onto Uganda’s climate finance working group. Key COP30 outcomes shaped by this work include:
· Tripling annual adaptation finance.
· Establishment of the Belem Action Mechanism for a just transition.
· Incorporation of YTJN’s advocacy points: institutionalising youth participation, dedicated youth climate finance mechanisms, and climate finance literacy.
These commitments appear in paragraphs 14 and 15 of the Belem Declaration.
On the ground, a multi‑partner initiative (YTJN, ACODE, NEMA, Save the Children) trained 42 Shifters in Kakiri and Masulita, Wakiso district, on climate financing. 97% of groups subsequently implemented environmental conservation activities (waste management, recycling).
We also demand transparency in natural resource governance and advocate for asset recovery and reparative justice, including the Polluter Pays Principle in international tax rules.
What we do:
We build youth capacity to lead fiscal policy reforms through training, mentorship, and practical advocacy tools. Our training programmes cover tax justice, budget analysis, public finance transparency, gender‑responsive fiscal policies, and civic space for youth engagement. A core component of our capacity building is equipping young people to use media platforms (social media, blogs, podcasts, short videos, infographics) to translate complex fiscal and tax issues into simplified, palatable information that resonates with youth audiences. We also support youth‑led campaigns to turn manifestos into law, and we mentor young monitors to track budget processes and hold governments accountable.
Key results (examples):
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