IN these uncertain political times, it is increasingly important that friends and partners in Europe and across the world see Scotland as the internationalist, outward-looking country that we are and want to continue to be, ready to play our part in tackling shared global challenges in collaboration with other nations.
The R20 Austrian World Summit, which I attended last week, was a key opportunity to do this, as we work with international partners to help deliver the Paris Agreement – encouraging representatives from around the world to learn from each other in a bid to develop solutions for urgent climate action, both in Europe and internationally.
That’s why I was delighted to meet representatives from some of our closest European neighbours in the margins of the summit, to discuss a range of issues that are critical to Scotland and our shared interests, including Scotland’s determination to stay in the EU, and our positive approach to migration and supporting refugees.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres were among the key speakers at the summit and explained, emphatically, that with strong public support and political will, and all of us playing our part, we can tackle the global climate emergency.
My participation as a speaker at the summit was a timely opportunity to present to a global audience the leadership that the Scottish Government is taking on climate change, following the First Minster’s declaration of a global climate emergency.
The amendments we recently lodged to our Climate Change Bill mean that, if accepted by Parliament, Scotland will have the most ambitious statutory targets anywhere in the world – net-zero emissions by 2045. We are setting an example for the world to follow and our action to date is widely admired.
In addition to the summit, I held productive meetings with two international organisations – the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) and International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
We discussed Scotland’s positive, welcoming approach to migration, our New Scots Integration Strategy and our efforts to tackle human trafficking and exploitation, which were recognised by both organisations.
Not only can we learn from our partners overseas but we can also share effective and innovative solutions that we have developed with friends and partners.
The First Minister announced the establishment of a Citizens’ Assembly at the end of April and during my time in Vienna I met with Dr Reinhold Lopatka MP to discuss Austria’s experiences of similar initiatives in the early 2000s. I was also able to find out more about Austria’s European city councillors, who bring the work of the EU closer to people at a local level. Learning from other countries’ experience is key to ensuring that we make Scotland’s Citizens’ Assembly as inclusive, representative and effective as possible.
We live in challenging times where working in solidarity with our European partners is increasingly important, and enables us to develop solutions that can benefit us all.
We should be seeking to enhance, not diminish, our international collaborations. Brexit threatens the fabric of our economy and society, and is completely contradictory to the kind of internationalist, progressive country Scotland is now and wants to continue to be.
Threats such as the global climate emergency demonstrate why we must co-operate with our fellow European nations, and the R20 Austrian World Summit was an example of the sort of international platforms that we can both engage in collaboratively and show leadership at, helping to make an even bigger difference and inspire others.
The fact that the Scottish Government was invited to participate in the summit shows how respected Scotland is internationally for our leadership on tackling climate change – and the positive reception I received, particularly following the European Parliament election results, illustrated just how well respected, and widely known, Scotland’s pro-European credentials are, amongst EU member states and other international partners alike.
Such goodwill towards Scotland should give us confidence, as we continue to work to play our part in addressing shared challenges like the global climate emergency.
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