International network: annual report 2022-2023

Introduction

In April 2022, the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee recommended that the Scottish Government:

“publish an Annual Report setting out the contribution made by the international offices to promoting the values, objectives and priorities of the revised International Framework”

This Annual Report showcases the achievements of our international network of offices over the reporting year from April 2022 to March 2023, using case studies to highlight international activity delivering impact across three main pillars of work:

1. economy, trade and investment

2. climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy; and

3. reputation, influencing and relationships.

These three priority areas were introduced for the network to work towards from 2023-24 onwards as part of the revised international framework. This Annual Report therefore draws on relevant case studies and highlights from the monitoring and evaluation process under the previous framework. The full monitoring and evaluation report for 2022-23 under that framework has also been published alongside this Annual Report.^[3]

While this Annual Report offers valuable insights into the work of our international network, it can provide only a snapshot of Scotland’s overall engagement on the international stage. More information on other aspects of our international work can be found on the Scottish Government website.^[4]