50th ANNIVERSARY OF SCOTTISH CATHOLIC INTERNATIONAL AID FUND

That this House notes the 50th anniversary of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), established in 1965 in Rutherglen by Bishop Michael Foylan, Monsignor John Rooney and Mr John McKee, guided by the principles of the Second Vatican Council; thanks SCIAF for its dedication to ending poverty and working alongside some of the world’s poorest women and men, whatever their faith; further recognises SCIAF’s passion for challenging the underlying causes of poverty through education and advocacy on issues including climate change and corporate accountability; supports SCIAF’s efforts to provide practical support to communities on the ground through projects focusing on access to justice and peace-building, promoting sustainable livelihoods and education; further recognises SCIAF’s responses to emergencies through existing local partners and the Caritas Internationalis family, most recently following the earthquake in Nepal; further notes important opportunities in 2015 to tackle global poverty including the agreement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September and the expected deal at the UN climate change conference in Paris in December; urges the Government to promote an SDGs framework that prioritises equity, human rights, participation and accountability and to push for a fair, binding, transparent deal in Paris, which reflects both science and equity and safeguards the dignity and rights of the world’s most vulnerable people; and wishes SCIAF every success in the years ahead.