Scotland and Malawi sign new Partnership Agreement

We're delighted to see that the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and President Mutharika have signed a partnership agreement to commit both governments to development cooperation across areas such as health, education, human rights, governance and social enterprise.

The accord comes thirteen years after the governments of Scotland and Malawi first signed a cooperation agreement.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“Scotland and Malawi have historical and enduring ties of friendship and cooperation. We have committed today to maintain this relationship and partnership in the future."

The Agreement states:

"The Parties are committed to working together to harness the historical links as a powerful tool for development. This is a unique model of international development that has already manifested itself in considerable impact on the ground: in thousands of attended births, widespread energy access for rural areas, a quadrupling of medical graduates, a host of new college and university qualifications, and the engagement of tens of thousands of citizens.

"In a world where development is often criticised as too impersonal, as disconnected from real needs on the ground, or as enjoying dwindling public support, the Malawi-Scotland model can point the way towards demand-driven development that is rooted in long-term partnerships and built on a history of cooperation and friendship for the wider public in each country to engage with and act on.

"It is a model that recognises that the Parties live in a world where they increasingly face shared challenges that affect all, in which a sense of global citizenship and solidarity is key to making progress."

Read the full Agreement here >>

Read more on the signing here >>

(Photos: Scottish Government)