I WELCOME the publication of the Scottish government’s eagerly anticipated Global Affairs Framework. This sets out the key principles that will guide and focus Scotland’s international engagement as we move out of a post-Brexit and post-Covid context.

Since the Britain left the EU the world has endured significant shocks and international crises as a result of the Covid pandemic. We are only just beginning to come out of this now.

In Scotland, as we move forward, we have the opportunity to re-evaluate our international engagement and priorities. The committee on external affairs set about to do this and yesterday’s publication of the Global Affairs Framework addresses the calls for clarity of strategy and principles from the Scottish government in the post-Brexit international climate.

The committee requested that there be alignment between domestic policy and external action and that there should be a clear geographic and thematic rationale in any forthcoming strategies. This is a recommendation I strongly agree with.

Moreover, I was glad to see Principle Five articulated in the new framework, which emphasised the upholding of human rights and the rule of international law. This draws our attention to the fundamental principle of protecting citizens’ peace and security.  

Right now, as we watch the war unfold in Ukraine, we are all acutely aware that the people of Ukraine and, potentially, the global community are facing a new and significant international security crisis.

The people of Scotland have responded admirably by opening their homes to the refugees fleeing this conflict. However, aside from this domestic response, we must also remain conscious of the international security ramifications this war may have in Europe.

This threat reinforces the importance of our domestic discussions around how we carefully approach international security and peace and how Scotland engages with the international community in this regard.

We are yet to see what Putin’s response will be to the fact that he has not won victory in Ukraine.

On Scotland’s approach to international relations, as a nation with a unique perspective and role in nuclear disarmament, I proffer that we engage with the forthcoming 1st meeting of State Parties on the Treaty (TPNW) on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and all political groups in this parliament consider sending representatives to the events.

As the prospect of Scottish independence grows, we must remain attuned to the diplomatic negotiations of the TPNW and be proactively engaged in this matter. To this end, I will be leading a contingent on behalf of the Cross Party Group on Nuclear Disarmament in Vienna next month.

Although Scotland is a small nation, we have big ambitions to positively shape international affairs and support and promote key global agendas. This is part of our mandate, as set out in the Scotland Act, which allows the Scottish government to assist the UK government on international matters that may have an impact on devolved policy areas.

Over the past three parliamentary sessions, I have had the privilege of leading the cross-party group on nuclear disarmament as convenor, and just last year I became deputy convenor for the cross-party group on human trafficking.

Both groups in the Scottish Parliament engage with expertise found in Scotland on international matters. Both groups also strongly resonate with the 3rd, 5th and 7th guiding principles of Scotland’s Global Affairs Framework. Namely: gender equality, respect for human rights and the rule of law and Scotland’s culture.

I would like to highlight that the Scottish government, as led by the SNP, committed to implementing the A Model for Scotland policy into legislation.

This legislative change is one of the policy areas that could have the biggest reach in helping those who are truly most vulnerable and have a pivotal impact internationally in harming the operations of organised crime, whilst at the same time it would contribute to shifting international norms on how to tackle mass sexual exploitation and abuse, such as prostitution and human trafficking.

Putting the A Model for Scotland campaign into legislation would directly tackle the demand for prostitution, which in turn fosters the demand for human trafficking, by shifting criminality onto the men sexually exploiting women and children.

This shifts criminality away from those who are sexually exploited for profit and potentially trafficked. It should be articulated that a third of trafficking victims for sexual exploitation are children who are victims of child abuse and grooming.

When this legislative change happens, as promised to voters, it will engage with critical international efforts to tackle sophisticated, lucrative criminal activity of mass exploitation that profits on the misery of vulnerable women and children.

We are told by NGOs that traffickers are now targeting Ukrainian refugees and the OSCE has found that searches for Ukrainian women for sale have increased by 200-600 per cent across multiple languages and countries. This is an area whereby through domestic policy we can engage with international efforts to tackle organised crime.

I would recommend that the Scottish government works with international and regional organisations, such as the OSCE and the UN, to determine the most effective strategies to undermining criminal activity and making Scotland hostile to human traffickers and modern slavery.

As we re-evaluate our approach to global affairs, I urge the government to put nuclear disarmament, human trafficking and the exploitation of women and girls at the top of its strategic agenda.

Bill Kidd is Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Anniesland.