5 ways Scotland is a good global citizen

Scotland has always been an outward looking, innovative and caring nation. By maintaining Scotland’s place in the world as a good global citizen, we can provide leadership on global issues such as equality, sustainable development, climate justice and fair trade.

Here are just five ways Scotland is a good global citizen.

1. Our international development work supports some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

This year the Scottish Government’s £10 million-a-year International Development Fund targets support for communities in four countries – Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda and Pakistan – where we can have the greatest impact in relation to our budget. Funds are distributed to individual projects rather than direct to governments.

We have also set up a £1 million-a-year Humanitarian Aid Fund to help people in developing countries facing humanitarian crisis.


2. We’re playing our part in global peacekeeping and conflict mediation.
We’ve committed funding to train more than 200 women from conflict zones around the world in peacekeeping and conflict resolution.
In government we’re committing £1.2 million over a four year period to form a team of women activists to deliver training in mediation and negotiation skills, in an effort to build sustainable and long-lasting peace in war torn countries.

This follows the successful initiative to train 50 women with the help of Scottish Government funding. The scheme was assisted by UN experts and endorsed by the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Steffan de Mistura. 

3. Scotland was one of the first nations in the world to sign up to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Nicola Sturgeon pledged to implement the Global Goals, committing to tackling poverty and inequality at home and in developing countries.
 
From ending poverty; ensuring lifelong opportunities for all and achieving gender equality, the Global Goals set out a framework for tackling some of the world’s greatest problems. Read more about the Global Goals here.

4. The SNP established Scotland’s world-leading Climate Justice Fund.

The fund helps vulnerable communities tackle the challenge of climate change. Since its establishment, the Climate Justice Fund has supported over 70,000 people in developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to get access to safe, clean drinking water, trained 110,000 in climate change and water rights issues and much more.

5. Scotland was the second country in the world to achieve Fair Trade Nation status.

By choosing Fair Trade produce, we can ensure better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers. The SNP will continue to promote the Fair Trade campaign and increase awareness of fairly traded produce.
Scotland’s Fair Trade Nation status, first achieved in 2013, was retained following a reassessment in 2017. The reassessment also found that 43 per cent more Scottish consumers reported buying fair trade products in 2016 than in the previous year.

Read more about the SNP’s policies on international affairs in our Policybase.