Although international development is a reserved issue under the Scotland Act, it is open to the Scottish Executive to play a role within the international community, where the work is complimentary to the work of Department for International Development and other UK agencies, and is considered to be "assisting Ministers of the Crown in relation to foreign affairs".

In recent years, UK Government policy has gradually begun to move towards the UN target of directing 0.7% of GDP towards international aid, with the first ever inclusion of the target within the 2004 Spending Review aiming to reach the 0.7% goal by 2013 (none of the G8 countries have ever met the target). The UK programme is rooted in the wider objectives of the international community and the Executive want to coordinate their efforts in that context, particularly in relation to the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed at the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000.

Introduction

The Executive have a dual approach to their international activity. On the one hand, their European and International strategies are primarily concerned with Scotland’s own prosperity and how their international activity can boost Scotland’s economy. On the other hand, their International Development Policy is centred on what Scotland can do for other poorer places, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Patricia Ferguson has charge of the Executive’s international development remit, while Tom McCabe leads on most European and other international matters.

The Executive’s international work is scrutinised by the Parliamentary European and External Relations Committee, who have also conducted recent inquiries into the promotion of Scotland worldwide,  Scotland’s contribution to the G8 summit and the UK presidency of the EU 2005. International work is also promoted in the Parliament through the Cross Party International Development Group and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

European Strategy (January 2004) and International Strategy (October 2004)

"Our engagement with the European Union is the cornerstone of our external strategy, and the strength of Scotland's links with America are such that we must continue to build on the good work that has been done there in recent years. However, we must also look beyond Europe and the strong links that we have with the USA to consider where other new opportunities might lie" (Jack McConnell).

The Executive’s International Strategy is based in large measure upon their European Strategy and as a result the strategies do not vary hugely in their goals or focus, the International Strategy simply broadens out the scope beyond Europe. Both are designed to support Scottish interests through strong international relationships, particularly the primary objective of growing the Scottish economy.

The two strategic goals of the International Strategy (virtually the same as those in the European Strategy are:

1. to position Scotland internationally as a leading small nation, attractive to potential overseas partners and visitors and with a thriving and dynamic economy.

2. to bring effective influence to bear on the UK Government, other countries, regions and institutions on international policy issues affecting Scotland; and, within the scope of the Executive’s devolved responsibilities, to encourage and support Scotland’s contribution to international development.

According to the Executive, the importance of active participation in international (especially EU) institutions is to emphasise the need of promoting a better understanding and a more positive and contemporary image of Scotland in order to support trade, tourism and Fresh Talent (see below) objectives.

The strategies are also virtually identical in their focus on:

1. Enhancing the profile of Scotland (eg enhancing Scotland’s reputation as a tourism and business destination).

2. Promoting Scotland’s policy interests (by continuing to "seize opportunities" to promote, represent and advocate Scotland’s policy interests directly and through the UK Government).

The one difference is that the European Strategy had the added focus of maximising the Executive’s influence with the UK government on EU issues.

Jack McConnell told the Scottish Parliament during the parliamentary debate on Scotland’s international image in October 2004 that: "First and foremost, Scotland's political priority internationally is the European Union. We have two clear goals in Europe: we have positioned Scotland as a leading legislative region, alongside Bavaria, Catalonia, Flanders and others; and we will focus our efforts to influence the United Kingdom Government, EU member states, regions and institutions on EU policy issues that affect Scotland". To help with EU related work and to increase Scotland's influence in the EU the Executive have an EU Office in Brussels.

When debating Scotland’s international image, the First Minister went beyond Scotland’s role in Europe to talk about looking at other opportunities that are available, particularly in China: "many see the growth of China as a threat, but we in Scotland can and should treat it as an opportunity."

The strategy is a very broad document as it was just to be a foundation on which the Executive could build their international activity, according to Tom McCabe. "We decided deliberately to keep the strategy broad to allow us to learn from our international work. We will find our answers by establishing a base, learning from experience and refining our aims".

In February 2005, the European and External Relations Committee published their report on their inquiry into the promotion of Scotland worldwide, where they welcomed the International Strategy as "an important early step in providing for a more focused effort in external relations". However, they expressed some doubts about the speed of delivery and effectiveness of co-ordination, as well as asking for a clearer statement of the overall level of resources being made available for international activities and how effective they are, eg the amount spent on ‘Tartan Day’ in the USA. The Committee conclude that "whilst the strategy proposes a number of worthwhile initiatives and strategic goals, we are not convinced that it recognises the full scale of opportunities. To develop the strategy further, we believe that the devolved government will need to show greater vision and confidence".

Fresh Talent Initiative

The Fresh Talent initiative is an important strand of the Executive’s International Strategy. In February 2004 Jack McConnell set out the Executive’s plan of action to reverse Scotland’s population decline and ensure the country’s future prosperity.

The main strands of the Fresh Talent initiative are:

• promoting Scotland as a place to live and work;

• promoting Scotland as a destination for people applying for UK work permits;

• encouraging students at Scottish universities to stay in Scotland;

• improving first impressions.

The First Minister set a target to attract an additional 8,000 people to live in Scotland each year between now and 2009, which he said could be achieved through three routes: a) retaining home grown talent within Scotland; b) encouraging Scots who have moved away to come back home and c) attracting people who are completely new to Scotland.

To meet their target, the Executive established a Relocation Advisory Service (operational from October 2004) to assist and advise people who wish to live and work in Scotland. Steps were also agreed with the UK government to promote Scotland as a destination for people seeking to use the work permit route to come into the UK; overseas students graduating from Scottish universities are also to be allowed to stay and work here for an additional two years.

Parliament's European and External Relations Committee welcomed the launch of the Fresh Talent initiative as "a step in the right direction": "this is a good example of the Executive looking at the challenges faced by Scotland over the long-term". The Committee decided in April 2005 to launch an inquiry into the Fresh Talent initiative and will make recommendations on how it might be improved to better meet the needs of the private and public sectors in Scotland; contributions to this inquiry have been invited by 27 May (for details see the Committee's web pages).

G8

Jack McConnell sees the G8 summit at Gleneagles as providing "a unique opportunity to raise the profile of Scotland as a destination, a business location, and as a potential place to live. We will seize that opportunity and showcase our ambitions for Scotland". On another note he has said that he wants the Scottish people to speak out to help Make Poverty History in the lead up to the G8 summit and for his part "will continue to lend my own voice to call for trade justice, better aid and debt cancellation". Clearly there may be tensions between these two notes, around which "ambitions for Scotland" are being showcased, mirroring possible tensions in the future between the two strands of evolving Executive international policy.

The Scotland Malawi Partnership, which was launched in April 2004 by the Lord Provosts of Glasgow and Edinburgh, aims to focus, coordinate, develop and extend the many existing links between the peoples of Scotland and Malawi and to foster and develop new links (not least through the Church of Scotland). The Partnership aims to run a meeting in September as an audit of this summer's G8 summit.

International Development Policy (March 2005)

In March 2005 Jack McConnell outlined the Executive’s International Development Policy, which has a very different focus from the other international strategies, as it "sets out the contribution the devolved Scottish government can make and the responsibilities we have towards developing countries". The policy will have a strong focus on health, education and Sub-Saharan Africa - in particular Malawi, as it is one of the world’s poorest countries and because it has strong historical links with Scotland. A key part of the policy is to increase the capacity of Scotland’s NGOs and charities that work in developing countries or in disaster relief. The Spending Review allocation for international development is £3m from 2006/07; however funding of £3m has also been made available for 2005/06.

A number of key principles inform this policy which is intended to:

• contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the elimination of world poverty;

• complement UK government international development policy;

• provide, through Ministers, an opportunity to reflect the international development concerns of Scots, including our role in international crises;

• engage Scottish people in international development issues, and promote an outward looking focus;

• focus on Scotland’s key strengths and values, facilitating transfer of Scottish knowledge, skills and expertise to where they are needed most in the world, and promoting the exchange of knowledge;

• build on existing links between Scotland and developing countries;

• provide a management structure for targeting the annual budget.

The proposed programme for International Development comprises three strands and in the first instance will focus on:

1. Support for developing countries, especially through the development of NGOs: Assistance for the two way exchange of knowledge and expertise between Scotland and developing countries will be targeted through the broad based development of NGOs and other public bodies. Specific development programmes will have a geographic and thematic focus, with an emphasis on knowledge transfer to maximise the impact of the policy by building on Scottish strengths. Capital investment projects and funding of long term revenue expenditure are not within the scope of the policy. It is proposed that up to 90% of the £3m annual funding for international development could be allocated to support for developing countries through NGOs, through general NGO capacity building; support for generating additional funding and specific development funding.

2. Assistance during times of international crises: This is designed to help those who take a lead in mobilising Scotland’s response at times of international crises (as defined by the UK Department for International Development). Assistance will be aimed at stimulating fund raising through established channels. Emergency services such as rescue operations will not be part of this activity; however, the Executive aims to improve the co-ordination of the Scottish contribution to relief efforts, which will continue to be delivered through existing procedures. Up to 10% of the £3m annual funding could be spent on assistance during times of international crises.

3. Active consideration of the positive impact of Executive policies on the developing world: The policy states that appropriate messages should reach as much of the Scottish population as possible and provide a level of awareness of the problems faced by developing countries, and what Scotland can do to make a difference. For example, in the school curriculum, in procurement policies and in the way corporate responsibility within business is encouraged. Up to 10% could be spent on active consideration of the positive impact of Executive policies.

Within each of the funding allocations, a maximum of 5% of the total budget will be assigned to activities that promote knowledge and understanding of international development issues, or the development of other knowledge, including R&D which can be used to improve the lives of poor people in developing countries. This funding could be used to contribute to the work of any of the three policy streams, and might include activities such as supporting research centres, scholarships for UK scholars etc.

Scottish Ministers propose to appoint an Advisory Group to provide expert guidance on the:

• general focus and direction of the schemes;

• the levels of spend across each category;

• suggestions for appropriate development programmes;

• the levels of spend against each specific development programme,

• and to advise Ministers on emerging issues and progress in different areas.

However, there are concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of allocation of this funding.

Report of the branch visit of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to South Africa and Malawi (March 2005).

The delegation of six MSPs from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association that visited South Africa and Malawi (a key focus in the Executive’s International Development Policy) felt that Scotland could play an important role in developing links between Scottish schools, colleges and universities with their counterparts in South Africa, as it has "the potential for mutual benefit". Their report stated that there is already "a considerable amount of work being carried out by Scots on the ground in Malawi through NGOs and churches in particular. The delegation (which was fully briefed in advance by the Church of Scotland) is keen to see this developed as it is evident that this is a key area where Scotland can help to build the capacity of Malawians in order that they can better support themselves".

The delegation of MSPs recommended that:

• the Executive should explore the possibility of providing pension and National Insurance contributions for professional and skilled workers who undertake a period of voluntary work in identified developing countries

• the Executive should explore the possibility of providing relevant expertise to enable smaller NGOs to more effectively secure appropriate funding resources

• that further work should be undertaken to ensure that the huge potential for mutually beneficial links between schools, colleges and universities here in Scotland and with their counterparts in both Malawi and South Africa must be developed

• the Executive should extend their volunteer programme to incorporate measures that harness the latent potential that exists within retired professional and skilled workers

• that a cross-party group on Malawi be established within the Scottish Parliament to enable effective future dialogue between MSPs, civic and civil Scotland working in Malawi to ensure a programme of sustainable involvement is taken forward

• that a programme of work study visits at both member and official level for all three legislatures be established.

Margaret Ewing MSP (leader of the delegation) said that "helping Africa to help itself is one of the most important goals for this century and Scottish organisations are quite rightly playing their part in this. Whilst the Scottish Parliament may not be responsible for international development, we can help to make it easier for the Scots and Scottish organisations working in Africa. Our practical recommendations could make the world of difference to the people on the front line in Africa."

The First Minister is also due to visit Malawi before the G8 summit, accompanied by children from Sanday Community School in Orkney and five Malawian children (winners of a schools competition, held in Malawi and in Scotland, which aimed to encourage children to think about the value of education).

Cross Party International Development Group

The International Development Group (made up of 153 members, including 14 MSPs) "is the parliamentary shop-window for relief and development issues", and is one of the largest and most effective of cross party groups. The group provides a common location for Scottish agencies to meet together on a regular basis – "a key role of the IDG".

The group has three specific aims:

• to ensure liaison between MSPs and organisations working in Scotland on international aid and development issues;

• to raise awareness in Scotland of these issues and to provide a Scottish forum for discussion;

• to promote stronger links between Scotland and international aid and development agencies.

On the initiative of IDG members, issues such as the Millennium Development Goals, the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda and the Make Poverty History campaign have been debated in Parliament. In September 2004, Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for International Development, addressed the IDG on the topic of ‘international development and the UK’ and answered questions on the G8 summit and the crisis in Darfur in Sudan. Other recent presentations to the IDG have been on the Commission for Africa report and the Make Poverty History campaign.

It is also not coincidental that, with the coming of the Parliament and its IDG, there also came the Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland (NIDOS), in which a broad band of international development organisations in Scotland decided to unite under a common umbrella organisation to provide mutual support and training. NIDOS "promotes the exchange of experience, ideas and information, and provides a structure for the pooling of resources and more effective working on international development issues".

The Centre for Theology & Public Issues (University of Edinburgh) is planning a major conference on 4 – 7 September 2005 on the theme of ‘A World for All: The ethics of global civil society’.  This gathering could provide a timely springboard for new academic thinking coupled with new perspectives on the various levels of social and political action relating to the role of Scotland within the international community.