Sr researcher & advocate on economic justice, human rights watch. Imagining a world where economies unleash human potential for beauty.https://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3mtjhhdnkz22rMy latest op-ed on taxing AI to help fund human rights — and why negotiations for the first-ever UN tax treaty is a chance to fix the rules to make that possible [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Aug 2026 14:29 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjhhdnkz22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3mcczayx5jc2xWhile many face abysmal public services + tax hikes, huge companies & the uber-rich game a tax system designed 100 yrs ago. My new oped in @opiniojuris.bsky.social on why the first-ever UN tax treaty is a historic chance for public budgets that can fund human rights https://opiniojuris.org/2026/01/13/a-fairer-tax-system-is-a-global-human-rights-imperative/13 Jan 2026 16:51 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcczayx5jc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3mbp4ozgbqc2kGood to know the going rate for trying to counter my work! [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Jan 2026 18:59 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbp4ozgbqc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3m37ps7eags2fToday, @hrw.org released the 1st major report on tax, documenting how policies that favor the rich drove Sri Lanka into economic crisis & starved its public education system. UN tax treaty negotiations are historic chance to address a root cause. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/10/14/sri-lanka-ruinous-tax-policies-stoke-inequality15 Oct 2025 07:27 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3m37ps7eags2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3m36epwcr2k22We assess economies based on GDP, but all it measures is total productivity, incentivizing growth while ignoring inequality, environmental degradation & human rights like health & education. Good news is there’s a process underway to develop new metrics: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/10/14/un-meeting-seeks-to-embed-human-rights-in-new-economic-indicators14 Oct 2025 18:37 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3m36epwcr2k22https://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lwttcqzy3k2vWatching states negotiate the first-ever UN tax treaty was a window into geopolitical shifts - and a ray of hope for changing tax rules that deprive all governments of revenues for the benefit of the wealthiest: new from @hrw.org https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/08/20/progress-on-the-road-to-a-un-tax-treaty20 Aug 2025 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwttcqzy3k2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lvnld7yfak2bPleasure to join @rosiebultman.bsky.social on The People’s Program with my @hrw.org colleague @mattcconnell.bsky.social to talk about how Trump used the budget bill to kill a global rule meant to finally make companies pay a minimum tax rate on their profits. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peoples-program/id1812218977?i=100071875362305 Aug 2025 11:14 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvnld7yfak2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lt3bdesefs2nTrump’s budget not only transfers public goods to private pockets in the US, he weaponised the process to let US companies keep ripping off the govts where they operate, hurting their ability to fund health, education & other rights https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/07/03/how-trump-weaponized-the-us-budget-bill-overseas03 Jul 2025 17:36 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt3bdesefs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lswandkyy22j“It’s appalling that President Trump ran on a campaign to fix the economy but is delivering a budget that makes ordinary people pay with their health for tax breaks for millionaires” @mattcconnell.bsky.social @hrw.org on the catastrophe of a budget the senate just passed https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/07/01/us-budget-would-benefit-wealthiest-at-expense-of-rights01 Jul 2025 17:41 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lswandkyy22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lsqdspmx5k2sFrom Kenyans protesting regressive taxes to US budgets fights over tax cuts for the rich, one thing is clear: tax policies are central to human rights. A new database from @hrw.org shows UN human rights bodies made 168 tax-related recommendations to 98 states. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/26/human-rights-treaty-bodies-and-tax29 Jun 2025 09:21 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsqdspmx5k2shttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lsjosed6is2710,000 people are coming to Sevilla in a scorching heatwave to discuss financing for development. You know what would make the conference super cool? Advancing tax justice. 😎 New from @hrw.org on #FFD4Sevilla: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/26/un-financing-development-meeting-should-advance-tax-justice26 Jun 2025 17:49 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsjosed6is27https://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lshd2t6fp22kProtestors in #Kenya commemorating one year anniversary since protests against a regressive tax bill once again met with horrific violence, killing at least 8 people. Here’s @hrw analysis of why the tax bill violates human rights: https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/16/kenya/imf-align-economic-reform-rights25 Jun 2025 19:14 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lshd2t6fp22khttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lripwh3vx22oThis is a big win in the fight for labor rights of gig workers. If you want to get a sense of why this is so important, read Lena's fantastic report on gig workers in Texas: https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/05/12/gig-trap/algorithmic-wage-and-labor-exploitation-platform-work-us [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 Jun 2025 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lripwh3vx22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lrgmzqk2sk2kExactly what the US needed: more inequality. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/us/politics/rich-poor-republican-bill.html12 Jun 2025 19:15 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrgmzqk2sk2khttps://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lr7ancbrus25Gene Leon, president of a development bank, making the case for going beyond GDP, among other proposals for making the 4th Financing for Development conference a success https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/ffd4-could-mean-reform-or-ruin-for-vulnerable-economies09 Jun 2025 20:44 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lr7ancbrus25https://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lr7ae6owxk25Gene Leon, president of a development bank, making the case for going beyond GDP, among other proposals for making the 4th Financing for Development conference a success https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/ffd4-could-mean-reform-or-ruin-for-vulnerable-economies09 Jun 2025 20:39 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lr7ae6owxk25https://bsky.app/profile/sarahsaadoun.bsky.social/post/3lr7aadiwgk25Gene Leon, president of a development bank, making the case for going beyond GDP, among other proposals for making the 4th Financing for Development conference a success https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/ffd4-could-mean-reform-or-ruin-for-vulnerable-economies09 Jun 2025 20:37 +0000at://did:plc:gtsnwd434ih47ailkxpmp4ps/app.bsky.feed.post/3lr7aadiwgk25