ALEX Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, has pledged his support for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at an exhibition in the Scottish Parliament.

The exhibition, “Scotland, Malawi and the Global Goals”, created by the Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP), aims to create awareness of the SDGs in every constituency across Scotland and is asking MSPs to help them achieve this. Thanks to the work of staff and pupils at Beath High School, the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area has an increasingly strong connection with Malawi. 

Scotland was amongst the first to sign up to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (or ‘Global Goals’) when these were launched in 2015. Each of Scotland’s major political parties has committed to the delivery of these goals which will fight inequality, poverty and climate change in every country over the next 15 years.

Today, more than 94,000 Scots are actively involved in a civic link with Malawi and some 46% of all Scots can name a friend or family member personally involved. 

This is one of the world’s strongest people-to-people relationships, with more than £40m a year being contributed by Scottish civic society for the benefit of more than 4 million Malawians and 300,000 Scots a year.

The Scottish Parliament has been at the forefront of the bilateral relationship since 2005 when the then President of Malawi was the first Head of State to visit the reconvened Parliament, to sign the historic Co-operation Agreement.

Today, MSPs continue to be twinned with Malawian MPs, the Scottish Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association has an active link with the National Assembly in Malawi, and the Parliament’s Malawi Cross Party Group continues to be active in briefing and engaging MSPs. All 128 MSPs have Malawi civic links in their Constituency or Region.

Beath pupils and staff visited schools in Malawi in October where special partnerships have been set-up. 

This exhibition champions the spirit of dignified partnership behind these bilateral people-to-people links, as a powerful example of how Scotland can take a distinctive and effective approach to implementing the Global Goals.

The Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour, Kelty’s Alex Rowley, said: “The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals outline commitments that every country around the world should be focusing on. At the exhibition in Parliament I spoke on the 1st Goal – no poverty. This goal seeks to end poverty in all its forms everywhere.

“I am committed to seeing a Scotland that has finally eradicated the blight of poverty, as it is frankly shameful that it still exists here in 21st century Scotland. But it is also important to work with countries around the world until a global solution to poverty can finally be realised.”

David Hope-Jones, Chief Executive of the Scotland Malawi Partnership said: “It’s inspiring to see more and more communities across Scotland becoming involved in the SDGs.”