Governments and civil society must step up to ensure inclusivity in the commissioning, design, delivery, and assessment of vital public services.
People who are denied access to power are also denied the opportunity to make or influence decisions to live a better life out of poverty and claim their rights.
The concentration of wealth in the hands of the few threatens the ability of ordinary people to raise their voices and have a say over how our societies are run.
Rather than working for all, power and public policy is increasingly influenced by wealthy elites that are able to bend the rules - and hijack democratic institutions - to their favour.
A global tax body would give all countries - not just the rich and powerful - an equal say in how the global rules on taxation are designed.
Ultimately, developing countries and groups like Oxfam want to see a new intergovernmental body on cooperation in tax matters under the auspices of the United Nations.
It's happy and secure people who the are most creative.
You are not going to lift everybody out of poverty through the kindness of wealthy people.
I have learnt to enjoy my own company because I have lived alone many years.
Governments, the investor and business community, and civil society organizations and public representatives need to work together to ensure the necessary foundations are in place to align private finance to guarantee sustainable and equitable development and poverty reduction.
A tax system is important because of what it can pay for, but also for how it works. When we pay taxes, we expect something back from the state; it strengthens the relationship and accountability between us and our governments. It also pays for what private finance shouldn't: our needs for healthcare, education and social security.
Developing countries can make great strides towards more progressive and effective taxation and spending through action within their own borders. But the damage caused by exemptions, loopholes, and tax havens requires action beyond national borders - it requires international action and cooperation.
I grew up really being able to stand up to authority.
Africa's young population could be a huge economic asset if inequality were addressed.
I grew up in a country that was in a civil conflict for most of my childhood and adolescence. I saw violence and lived as a teenager through the time of a brutal dictator called Idi Amin. I fled and became a refugee.
Poverty is a result of lack of opportunity. Lack of opportunity is about being without power, without being in a position to make choices.
I believe we can build a human economy where people are the bottom line.
Wealth is used to entrench inequality, not to trickle down and solve it.
We need a world where people do not have to live in fear of the economic repercussions of getting sick or losing their home or job. Where every child gets to fulfil their potential. Where corporations pay their fair share of taxes and work for the good of the majority, not just their shareholders.
