Scottish Budget 2024 to 2025: equality and fairer Scotland statement

Constitution, External Affairs and Culture

Budget Purpose

Enhance Scotland's international relationships and reputation to support delivery of the Government’s domestic priorities, including to increase prosperity and wellbeing. Promote and support our ambition for Scotland to be a good global citizen. Protect Scotland’s place and interests in Europe. Implement a strategy to address Scotland’s population challenges. Promote Scotland as a great place to live, visit, work, study, and do business. Ensure everyone can realise their own creativity and have access to and enjoy culture.

Primary national outcomes:

• Communities
• Culture
• International

Key human rights:

• Article 10: Freedom of expression
• Right to take part in cultural life
• Right to an adequate standard of living

Summary of how our budget impacts on equality and Fairer Scotland

Ensuring all groups are able to more equally participate in, enjoy and access careers in our diverse culture, heritage and events sectors is at the heart of the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture portfolio. The budget enables funded organisations to deliver an active programme of cultural activity, outreach and events that take into account the preferences and circumstances of groups who experience structural disadvantage and those from lower income groups.

The Scottish Government is committed to a dual approach to the UN Sustainable Development Goals: to tackle poverty and inequality at home in Scotland and to help developing countries to grow in a fair and sustainable manner. International development is a crucial element of Scotland’s global contribution and a demonstration of our commitment to being a good global citizen. At the forefront of our efforts is our ‘International Development Fund’ to support and empower our partner countries, and a ‘Humanitarian Emergency Fund’ to respond to international humanitarian crises.