During the week of January 10^th the CIAT Director of Assistance and International Cooperation, Socorro Velazquez, participated in several meetings in Washington, D.C. The primary events were the International Tax Dialogue and the OECD Tax and Development Task Force Sub Group on Taxation, State-building and AID meetings.

Both events were of significant importance as it relates to the recent G20 directive on supporting the development of more effective tax systems, in particular those of developing nations. The participants at the meetings were representatives from several major international tax/fiscal organizations, which offered the opportunity to learn the strategies to be pursued in accomplishing the G20 agenda and how we will all collaborate on this initiative.

Issues addressed ranged from a study to determine the appropriate aid modality to a donor mapping survey in order to determine what activities are already in process. An initial strategy report will be available by the end of March 2011.