Yes, I do, convener. Thank you for inviting me to speak to the committee this morning.
I know that over recent months the committee has been considering how the Scottish Government and its agencies engage internationally as the first strand of its connecting Scotland inquiry. I provided written evidence on behalf of the Scottish Government to outline our international engagement.
As I notified the committee, we published “Scotland’s International Framework”, “Scotland’s International Policy Statement”, and “Scotland’s Action Plan for EU Engagement” at the end of March. At the heart of those documents is the commitment and belief that Scotland is an outward-looking nation and that the Scottish Government is committed to membership of the European Union. The documents set out the strategic framework and priorities for the Scottish Government, its agencies and public bodies, and the wider public sector going forward. They will guide our priorities for specific countries, regions and sectors and seek to embed internationalisation in all that we do.
I want to outline the context of, and background to, the publications. “Scotland’s Economic Strategy”, which was published at the beginning of March, sets out internationalisation as one of four interlinked priority areas that will help deliver the Government’s central purpose of sustainable economic growth to enable all Scotland to flourish. That supports the aims and ambitions in the First Minister’s programme for government.
Aligned to all of that, on 25 March we published the revised international framework, which for the first time, was accompanied by a ministerial policy statement. The policy statement sets out current Government policy priorities. We will update it as our priorities and the external environment change. The framework itself is high level and is a step change in how we collaborate to work together across the Government, public sector and third sector in support of our internationalisation agenda and our strategic international priorities.
The framework sets out our ambitions for Scotland, its people, businesses and institutions. There are four strategic international objectives, which are enhancing our global outlook; strengthening our relationships and partnerships; increasing our reputation and attractiveness; and engaging in the European Union.
Our internationalisation agenda must address two interlinked challenges. First, it must address capability at home, through helping our people, institutions and businesses better understand the international environment. We must support them in developing the skills that they need to engage, and to create and benefit from opportunities overseas. Secondly, we must support the development of relationships and partnerships outside Scotland to ensure that Scotland and our international partners flourish and that opportunities to influence global systems are maximised.
Shortly after the publication of “Scotland’s International Framework”, on 27 March, we published “Scotland’s Action Plan for EU Engagement”. That sets out how we will protect, strengthen and further enhance Scotland’s place in Europe. Our objectives under the action plan flow from the international framework and are being a committed partner in Europe; promoting effective and meaningful reform in the EU; actively participating in the EU to secure investment, innovation and inclusive growth; and strengthening partnerships with European member states and regions. Securing more jobs, tackling inequality and creating wealth are at its heart. The action plan commits the Scottish Government to promoting the benefits of EU membership while encouraging EU reform within the terms of the existing EU treaties.
It is important to stress that, although it is aligned to Scotland’s economic strategy, our international work is not only about economic gain. Scotland will continue to act as a good global citizen, promoting stability and equality and continuing our advocacy of human rights.
Over the coming months, we will publish refreshed country plans for India, Pakistan and the Americas. We will be developing an international trade and investment strategy and we will continue to look for ways to ensure that our international development programme maintains and intensifies its impact.
We are also reviewing how we engage with our diaspora, and the role of existing governmental and non-governmental networks in promoting Scotland. We are keen to broaden the notion of diaspora beyond the traditional sense to include those such as recent students with an affinity for and knowledge of contemporary Scotland.
We are looking beyond purely economic indicators of international reach to include greater emphasis on soft power and cultural diplomacy, and we wish Scotland’s relationship with our diaspora to be a genuinely two-way relationship.
Finally, as I am sure that the committee is aware, the First Minister’s programme for government included a commitment to develop international one Scotland partnerships and innovation and investment hubs over the coming year and years, and further detail will be made available as planning is taken forward with our stakeholders and partners.
As always, I will inform the committee as we publish further documents. I hope that these brief introductory remarks have been helpful in giving you some context and informing you of our prospects in relation to taking the international agenda forward. I look forward to answering your questions.