Commonwealth Week 2012
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-01999, in the name of Sandra White, on Commonwealth week 2012. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
I am delighted to welcome to the Parliament the special envoy for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Scotland branch, Annie Lennox. You are most welcome. [Applause.]
Motion debated,
That the Parliament considers that the Commonwealth has a valuable role in strengthening relationships between nations across the world; welcomes the continued contribution of Scotland and its people to those relationships; reaffirms its support for the work of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA); notes that the CPA Scotland Branch and the Scottish Government have, as a key focus, continued to develop relationships with Malawi; notes Scotland’s longstanding links throughout the Commonwealth; acknowledges the work of organisations such as the British Council Scotland; notes that 2012 is also the Year of Creative Scotland, and therefore commends the theme of Commonwealth Day this year, Connecting Cultures.
17:37
It is a privilege to open the debate to celebrate Commonwealth week 2012. I welcome all our guests to the Scottish Parliament, including Annie Lennox, our special envoy, who is to be applauded for the dedication and commitment that she has shown to the role since being appointed in 2010. She undertakes the role alongside other humanitarian work, such as the sing campaign, which I understand that we will have the opportunity to learn more about at this evening’s event. She might even be persuaded to sing one of my favourite songs, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”—perhaps I will speak to her about that after the debate.
I had the privilege of speaking in the members’ business debate to mark the Commonwealth’s 60th anniversary. The theme was—aptly—serving a new generation, given that the Commonwealth is moving into a new era and, when that debate took place, the Commonwealth covered almost 2 billion people, half of whom were under 25. Much may have changed in 60 years in Scotland and around the world, but the Commonwealth’s enduring principles, such as the promotion of democracy, human rights, liberty and world peace, are as relevant now—if not more so—as they have been at any time in the Commonwealth’s history.
This year’s theme—connecting cultures—also resonates with the times. In a world of increased globalisation, increased communication through news and social media and increased awareness of the world around us as a result, it is essential that we gain a comprehensive understanding of and a healthy respect for the wide variety of cultures in the Commonwealth and beyond.
The Queen’s message for Commonwealth day talks of the
“extraordinary cultural tapestry”
that makes up
“this unique gathering of nations”.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma talks of connecting cultures as encouraging us to
“explore how we can use culture to build bridges of exchange and understanding.”
In a world in which, each year, there are new challenges and new uncertainties, by celebrating our cultural diversity while building on basic rights such as equality and freedom, we can turn those challenges into opportunities and overcome our uncertainties. The Commonwealth is an ideal vehicle for achieving those aims. During the past 60 years, Commonwealth countries have worked together to improve the rights of many of its members across the world.
The changes have come about as the result of a collective approach and they have come about through the Commonwealth’s many programmes in a number of areas, such as women’s rights, democracy, education, and youth empowerment, amongst others. As we look to the future to see how such a collaborative approach can continue to deliver further positive change, CPA Scotland is playing its part.
The convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee was recently invited to visit South Africa to address a conference about our positive committee. Many members and people in Scotland take the Public Petitions Committee for granted, but in many countries it would be unimaginable that people could write to Parliament and have it investigate and, where possible, offer solutions to issues, or that members could call Government ministers to account and bring debates to the floor of the Parliament. That is truly a wonderful achievement and we should share it. When I think about it, it sounds incredible, but the system works and many countries—not just those in the Commonwealth—want to replicate it. We should be proud of the positive contribution that we in the Scottish Parliament and the Scotland branch of the CPA make to the Commonwealth and beyond.
Sarah Boyack MSP is currently in Bangladesh, speaking about our world-leading climate change legislation, which I hope will be used to inform and shape other nations’ responses to climate change. Scotland, and the CPA in Scotland, is sharing its knowledge and aspirations with many nations. Although they might have different cultures, they have at their hearts shared goals and a common purpose, and they are playing their part in connecting cultures.
I have mentioned MSPs. They might be the ones who are getting out and about and talking to people, but I also thank all the staff at the CPA Scotland branch in Parliament for their hard work and dedication. Without them, the branch would not be as dynamic and successful as it is. I give a special mention to Margaret Neal, CPA Scotland’s secretary, and congratulate her as I believe that she became a gran at the beginning of this week with the birth of baby Sam.
Special mention must be made of Malawi. We know that Malawi is experiencing difficult times at the moment, but the Scotland branch of the CPA retains a special relationship with Malawi, and we continue to work alongside elected members and members of the public there. Two interns from the National Assembly of Malawi are currently working in the Scottish Parliament. We continue to work with people in Malawi, and with elected members, with the help of the CPA Scotland branch secretariat.
The 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow must have a special mention, and not just because I am a Glaswegian and I represent the Kelvin constituency.
Heaven forfend.
Heaven forbid, as Christine Grahame says.
The games will bring together people from all cultures and backgrounds, and will provide a fantastically positive opportunity to highlight all that my city of Glasgow can bring to the international stage, as well as what the other countries of the Commonwealth can bring to Glasgow and the rest of Scotland. We have many concerns about what is happening throughout the world, but the Commonwealth games is an opportunity to bring together all people of the world, and I look forward to playing my part.
I believe that the Commonwealth will continue to be a great organisation for a long time to come. As we have said, connecting cultures is about celebrating diversity and sharing the goals that bring us together. Perhaps the words of my other favourite Annie Lennox song say it all just as well, although I certainly will not sing them:
“Another day goes by
Still the children cry
Put a little love in your heart.
If you want the world to know
We won’t let hatred grow
Put a little love in your heart.”
17:44
I congratulate Sandra White on securing this debate. I apologise in advance to you, Presiding Officer, and to Sandra White because I will have to leave immediately after my speech as I have a constituency engagement. I sincerely regret not being able to stay to hear colleagues’ contributions and to celebrate this important day with them later.
The theme for the debate and for Commonwealth day is connecting cultures—the thought of which has prompted a number of images to flash through my mind. The first is the image of the Malawian singers and dancers who flooded through Parliament’s doors into the garden lobby to entertain us in their inimitable and joyfully exuberant way. We could not stop their performance that night, but I do not think that anybody wanted to, because we were all enjoying ourselves far too much. I have never witnessed members of this Parliament dancing in the garden lobby either before or since that event. The joy in the music of others allowed us to share that unique experience.
I also recall the ancestor ceremonies in which I participated in Australia and which take place before any major public event. They remind Australians that they hold the land and country in trust for those who come after them, and that those who came before also matter and should be remembered.
I recall, too, hearing Jack Mapanje, the Malawian poet, reading some of his poetry at the St Magnus festival in Orkney. The attentive audience learned more about Malawi in an hour with him than they would have learned by reading numerous briefings and guide books about the country. The power of the words and the voice of one man were testament to the condition of his country.
Culture also allows us to hold a mirror to our own experience and to see ourselves in context. I recently attended an excellent event in a primary school in my constituency. The children were celebrating, as many have done, the award of an eco-flag. They had done a tremendous amount of work and had even created working musical instruments from cornflakes packets and washing-up liquid bottles, which they used to accompany the school choir.
That visit reminded me of another school—a very different school—in Malawi, where the children played musical instruments that were made of oil cans and plastic bags. They were not deliberately recycling; they were using what they had in order to express the music that they love and enjoy.
Jack Mapanje is a celebrated poet who has won countless awards and much recognition, but his poetry collection “Of Chameleons and Gods” led to his arrest in 1987, because his words were seen as being critical of the Banda regime.
The power of culture in its broadest sense is that it challenges our experience, brings joy to our lives, understands our sadness, moves our economy, challenges power and gives a voice to the oppressed. We must value and connect with culture and recognise it as the important tool that it really is in so many aspects of our lives.
The connections that we share within the Commonwealth emphasise what we have in common and what binds us. As Sandra White correctly said, we will be able to celebrate and demonstrate that personally in the Commonwealth games in Glasgow in 2014. I hope, as we celebrate Commonwealth day, that Scotland will continue to play its part in the Commonwealth for many years to come.
17:48
I thank Sandra White for securing this important debate to mark Commonwealth day. The CPA consists of 175 national, state, provincial and territorial Parliaments. It has a membership of approximately 17,000 parliamentarians, all with a community of interest in respect for the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms, and in the pursuit of the positive ideals of parliamentary democracy.
The Commonwealth itself has been described by the Queen, who is the head of the Commonwealth, as
“a unique gathering of nations ... an extraordinary cultural tapestry”,
and one which, nonetheless, shares
“one humanity, and this draws us all together.”
My first experience of the CPA was as a Scotland branch delegate at the 53rd plenary conference, which was held in New Delhi in 2007. For me, that provided an amazing insight into a sphere of politics that is inhabited by a rich diversity of people. At the conference, hugely important issues were discussed, including human trafficking. The discussion on that concentrated parliamentary minds on the need to improve co-operation, increase understanding and raise awareness of the issue in an effort to tackle and eradicate that vile trade. In New Delhi, I was privileged to represent the Scotland branch at the first meeting of the Commonwealth women parliamentarians.
The work of the Scotland CPA branch has grown and progressed, most notably by addressing specific issues such as HIV, which affects the life expectancy and health and wellbeing of many women and girls in the Commonwealth. At this point, I welcome to the public gallery pupils of Coatbridge high school and St Margaret’s high school in Airdrie, which are in my Central Scotland constituency. Those schools participate in the healthy lifestyle project, which promotes positive and healthy lifestyles to primary and secondary pupils, parents and residents in the area. I have seen at first hand the impressive emergency life skills aspect of the project. However, one particular strand of the healthy lifestyle project is the aiming higher in Malawi scheme, which runs in conjunction with partner schools in Malawi and the Forum for African Women Educationalists. The project has many different elements, such as the girls go for health initiative. As part of the programme, several of the young people who are in the public gallery today will travel to Malawi in June.
More generally, the healthy lifestyle project provides a forum for girls to engage in after-school activities such as debates, study groups and discussions about HIV and AIDS mitigation. In short, the partnership between the schools in Scotland and Malawi is an excellent model that I hope can be replicated in other schools. That link is representative of the relationship between Scotland and Malawi, which has developed over recent years since the signing of the Scotland-Malawi co-operation agreement in 2005. Both countries have benefited immensely from their continuing affiliation.
That relationship is typical of the empathy, friendship and bonds that the Commonwealth fosters among its people and among parliamentarians from the legislatures of its 54 countries. This evening, we are proud to celebrate Commonwealth day and this year’s theme of connecting cultures, which highlights and applauds the wealth and diversity of culture and experience across the Commonwealth, with its shared humanity from which we all continue to learn.
17:53
I associate myself with Sandra White’s comments in her eloquent introduction to the debate. I thank her, Margaret Mitchell and Patricia Ferguson for their understanding of my presence at board meetings, given that I am the only member of the weaker sex who is present during their esteemed considerations of the issues that face us on behalf of the Scottish CPA branch.
As Sandra White and others have said, the theme for this year’s Commonwealth day and Commonwealth year 2012 is connecting cultures and promoting understanding of peoples across the Commonwealth, including in Scotland. That is about an understanding of the diversity that makes the movement so strong. This morning, I was taken by an interview that I heard on the radio in which an American commentator argued that we should stay the course in Afghanistan and that Obama is showing no leadership, and then sabre-rattled on the potential war in Iran. I disagreed with his analysis and his argument about Obama. He did not even mention Syria and what the world is not doing about the humanitarian disaster and catastrophe that unfolds further there every day.
However, as I listened, I reflected on what the Commonwealth has done over many decades, and which I have no doubt it will continue to do for many years to come: the binding together of peoples and the upholding of the rule of law, of freedom of speech and of respect for human rights and parliamentary democracy, which is occasionally an unmentioned—or ill-mentioned—concept in how we look at the Commonwealth.
As World Bank figures show, there are still too many people—a majority across the globe—living on under $2 a day. Where education, literacy and good standards of health cannot be guaranteed, never mind taken for granted, we have much to do.
In the Queen’s diamond jubilee year, her Commonwealth day message highlights the power of musical composition as a medium for bringing peoples together. As Sandra White said, Parliament is honoured to have Annie Lennox as our special envoy. In passing, I should say that I made the usual phone call to my 11-year-old son last night and he said, in his usual way, “So, are you meeting anyone famous tomorrow?” I said, “Annie Lennox” and—I hope that she will forgive me—he said, “Who?” He is 11 years old. His mum said, “No way!” I guess that that just goes to show that some of my generation who grew up with the Eurythmics still, and always will, remember them.
The way in which Annie Lennox advocates for a wide range of people—particularly women and children in situations that we can hardly describe or understand—and her ability to make Governments listen, understand and do things, are incredibly important and valuable. For me, those who had the foresight to recognise the part that she could play not just for Parliament, but for the United Nations and the other roles that she undertakes, recognised the power of an international star who brings force of personality and campaigning zeal in a very positive way to the challenges that many nations face.
I also share the enthusiasm that exists for the Commonwealth games—I was grateful for the very good briefing that the Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport gave to some of us earlier today—and the excitement that is being generated around that event. The theme of using sport as a medium to bring peoples together is, for me, at the heart of the Commonwealth.
Whatever is the essence of the Commonwealth in this year of cultural connections, let us ensure that the Parliament plays a constructive and positive role in strengthening and appreciating diversity not just here in Scotland, but afar off as well.
17:57
One of my first memories of the Commonwealth as a concept is of my visit to Zambia in 1979. It was my first trip outside Europe. At that time, southern Rhodesia was the focus of many problems, and Zambia was suffering bombings, food shortages and suchlike. I was 22 at the time, and I remember my mother being asked whether she was worried about my going to Zambia. She said that she was not, because the Queen had just been there for the Commonwealth heads of government summit, so it must have been okay.
One of the things that came out of the Lusaka summit in 1979 was the “Lusaka Declaration on Racism and Racial Prejudice”. It is worth reading out a little bit of it tonight.
“We, the Commonwealth Heads of Government ... have decided to proclaim our desire to work jointly ... for the eradication of all forms of racism and racial prejudice. The Commonwealth is an institution devoted to the promotion of international understanding and world peace, and to the achievement of equal rights for all citizens regardless of race, colour, sex, creed or political belief, and is committed to the eradication of the dangerous evils of racism and racial prejudice.”
I could read the whole thing, but time does not allow it. The declaration resonates as much in 2012 as it did in 1979.
Different ideas probably come to different people’s minds when they think of the Commonwealth. Three ideas come to my mind. The first is that the Commonwealth is friendly. Many of us automatically think of the Commonwealth as a group of friends, when compared to other international groupings such as the United Nations and NATO. We have family ties with people in many Commonwealth countries—especially Australia, New Zealand and Canada, although when I was in Zambia and Malawi I was struck by the number of Scottish place names there and the links that we have with those countries, too.
The second idea that comes to my mind is that the Commonwealth is not the empire. The British empire is a historical fact—some of us may like the concept and some of us may loathe it. Either way, the empire has now given way and been replaced by the Commonwealth. It is hard to mention the transition from empire to Commonwealth without thinking of all the nations that used to be ruled from London but are now free. What a good idea.
The third thing that comes to mind is the Commonwealth games, which have already been mentioned. Members will not be surprised that the subject is of particular interest to me, as much of the games in 2014 will take place in my Shettleston constituency. Members who are not aware of that will be soon, I hope, as I plan to keep on reminding them of it over the next two years.
Specifically, in the east end of Glasgow, we will have the opening ceremony at Celtic park, the athletes’ village just across the road, and the velodrome and indoor sports arena across another road. Not much further away, we will have the swimming at Tollcross and the hockey at Glasgow green.
I thank all members who took part in the publicity event with the giant trainer in the Parliament last week, and I thank those who wore their trainers on Monday to promote the games. One of the good things about the games is that Scotland competes on her own and our athletes do not get into trouble for waving the saltire. For that reason, I am much more interested in the Commonwealth games than I am in the Olympics.
Finally, it is worth noting that the Commonwealth includes both republics and countries that accept the Queen as their head of state. That certainly seems to be a reasonable arrangement to me. Whether or not Scotland continues to have a monarchy or decides to be a republic in due course, we can still be a full member of the Commonwealth.
18:01
I am delighted to take part in the debate. I join others in commending Sandra White for bringing the motion to the chamber, and indeed for the eloquent way in which she opened the debate.
I am particularly struck by the opening sentence of the motion that we are debating, because in this day and age many people ask themselves whether the Commonwealth has much of a role to play and even, perhaps, what it is for. To be perfectly honest, I used to ask myself those questions, until fairly recently. I would like to share with members two experiences that will, I hope, help to provide answers to those questions.
The first experience stems from the early days of my time as Presiding Officer, when I hosted a dinner at Borthwick castle that marked the end of the 19th Commonwealth parliamentary seminar, which took place here in Scotland. It was, as members can imagine, a relaxed event, with the representatives from all corners of the Commonwealth having got to know each other fairly well over the preceding days, and they were clearly enjoying the opportunity of their final session together.
Sitting on my left at the dinner was the representative from Pakistan—a very senior political figure who was representing his nation and its population of more than 187 million people. Sitting on my right was the representative of Norfolk Island, which I freely admit I had not heard of before, and which is an island dependency of the Commonwealth of Australia, albeit one with a large degree of self-governance. Its representative, who was an equally senior political figure in Norfolk Island, was representing its population of 2,302 people—not 2,302 million, but 2,302. In effect, I had 187 million people sitting on one side of me and 2,302 people sitting on the other, yet the realisation struck me that, almost entirely due to being members of the Commonwealth, the two representatives sat as absolute equals at the table. Surely that is one of the immense strengths of this unique family of nations.
The second experience that I would like to share with members is from when I visited Malawi just over a year ago with our special envoy, Annie Lennox. I join others in welcoming her to the chamber this evening. We visited Malawi on behalf of the CPA Scotland branch. There is a picture on display in the members’ lobby that shows Annie and me reading a letter with a pupil from a school near Lilongwe. We had taken the letter, with many others, from a school in Glasgow that wanted to be linked with the Malawian one that we were to visit and had asked us to take the letters.
When we handed out the letters, their provenance having been explained to the pupils by their teacher, there was a stunned and prolonged silence, which I originally interpreted as disapproval and disappointment but which turned out to be sheer, unadulterated astonishment and delight that schoolchildren in Scotland should want to make friends with their peers in Malawi. It was incredibly moving, and to me it encapsulated the very essence of the strength of the Commonwealth.
If we dissect the word “commonwealth” into its two constituent parts, I believe that we find the strength of the organisation as a whole. The first word is “common”, and surely any organisation within which the representative of 187 million people can sit as an equal with the representative of 2,302 people has to be worth preserving and supporting. Equally, any organisation that encourages schoolchildren to reach out across the globe, across our very different cultures and our often imagined adult divides, to share and profit from a combined wealth of knowledge can only be a force for good in a world where such forces are all too scarce. The Commonwealth is, I believe, unique in that regard.
I finish by commending the CPA Scotland branch’s on-going work, which is greatly valued within the Commonwealth. I am very happy indeed to support the motion before us.
18:05
I welcome the debate, which has been secured by Sandra White in recognition of Commonwealth day, and I welcome the contributions of members.
The theme of this year’s Commonwealth debate is connecting cultures and, as many members will know, this is also the year of creative Scotland. This August, ministers from Commonwealth countries and beyond will gather here in the Scottish Parliament to focus on the power of culture in forging and fostering international relationships and dialogue between nations. The summit is a collaboration between the Scottish Government, the United Kingdom Government, the Edinburgh international festival and the British Council, and it will bring together culture ministers to discuss how culture in its widest sense enriches the lives of people around the world and contributes to the wellbeing of nations. The importance of cultural diplomacy in our international affairs cannot be overestimated. It can open doors and strengthen and support Scotland’s international ambitions.
The announcement of the timetable for the referendum means that the world’s eyes will be on Scotland in 2014, when we are hosting a number of world-class events, and we are now seeing a step change in the level of international attention on and engagement with Scotland. In that context, it is vital that we continue to strengthen our relationship with our Commonwealth friends around the world, to share knowledge and experiences and to forge the links that can bring tangible benefits to our countries.
Our national touring fund helps Scotland’s performing companies to travel the world every year. Most recently, the National Theatre of Scotland has been touring Australia and New Zealand with “Beautiful Burnout”. In celebration of the 20th Commonwealth games in Glasgow, an excellent project has been developed with India, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Botswana. The idea is to create a large-scale choral music performance, inspired, created and performed by young citizens from across the Commonwealth. The project is being led by Scottish Opera, and is supported by the British Council and the Scottish Government.
In November, I celebrated St Andrew’s day in Canada. During my visit, it was clear to me that our two countries share so many important historic, cultural and economic links. While I was there, I had the pleasure of launching a Canada-Scotland parliamentary friendship group in Ottawa—another example of our strong ties with that country—and in April, as part of Scotland week in North America, I will be returning to Canada to continue to promote those links.
On international women’s day last week, I attended the launch of a production called “Ana”, which is a collaboration between the Imago theatre company from Montreal and Stellar Quines from Scotland.
Scotland’s historic and modern links with India are very evident. Over 3,000 Indian students have chosen to study at our educational institutions and our universities and colleges continue to build on existing exchange and research programmes with Indian universities.
The Scottish Government has also provided funding for Scotland’s saltire scholarships, which each year give 50 awards each to Indian and Canadian students. Last month, we sponsored an exhibition at the Robert Burns birthplace museum on the theme of Robert Burns and Tagore, two hugely influential national poets connected by common themes and specifically by Tagore’s translation of two of Burns’s works. The exhibition also took place in Kolkata and marked the year-long celebration in India of Tagore’s 150th anniversary. Historic Scotland’s Scottish ten laser survey project is digitally recording five Scottish world heritage sites and five international sites, which now include the Rani Ki Vav—the Queen’s Stepwell—in Gujarat.
With less than 900 days to go until the Commonwealth games, never before has there been a more exciting time for our nation. It is clear that the games are already having huge benefits: the east end of Glasgow—John Mason’s constituency in particular—is being transformed; across Scotland jobs are being created and sustained; and businesses are winning major contracts from London and Glasgow. The £10 million games legacy get active fund will provide funding to sports and community-based facilities to help people engage more with sport and be active. We recently launched the £5 million Scottish Sport Relief home and away programme, which is jointly funded by Sport Relief and the Scottish Government. The programme will provide support to projects that benefit some of the most disadvantaged people in Scotland and in the poorest countries across the Commonwealth.
Key to our legacy aspirations is to allow our young people to become responsible global citizens with an understanding of the Commonwealth, the world and Scotland’s place in it. Curriculum for excellence provides the framework for education practitioners to use the Commonwealth games as a context for learning, with the ability to create the sustainable, international connections that are required in our 21st century, globalised society.
Our cultural programme being developed for the 2014 games will feature high-quality events inspired by the Commonwealth that will engage Scotland’s communities and reinforce our international image as a land of creativity and innovation. We have secured three London 2012 pre-games training camps with Commonwealth countries—Namibia, Zambia and Cameroon. We will work with local communities to ensure that they receive a fantastic welcome and build lasting links that can be sustained as we welcome them back in 2014.
Of course, our Government’s international development policy demonstrates our commitment to supporting countries in the developing world. As part of that, I am incredibly proud of the unique and special relationship between Scotland and Malawi. It is not just a relationship at Government level, as formalised in the co-operation agreement, but one that recognises and encourages the many links across all the villages, towns and schools in Scotland and civic society in particular. The Scottish Government has committed over £5.5 million to projects in Malawi over the next two financial years. We have also recently closed a funding round for the Malawi development programme and I look forward to making announcements on successful applications in April. In 2013, we will mark the bicentenary of David Livingstone’s birth, which will be a wonderful opportunity for Scotland to showcase the activity that we are carrying out with our partners across sub-Saharan Africa and celebrate the legacy of David Livingstone’s work.
Through funding provided by the International Development Fund we are also supporting work in sub-Saharan Africa and in south Asia to help establish Scotland as one of the world’s first fair trade nations. In south Asia, we are supporting 19 projects in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to support poverty alleviation. In sub-Saharan Africa, we are working in Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. In addition to Malawi, we have recently closed a funding round for sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on Scottish expertise, we will also look to support work on water, climate change and renewable energy.
It is vital that we continue to progress that work, but we must also work together to face new challenges on climate change and in other areas. In so many ways, we are connected to the countries of the Commonwealth and we want to celebrate our culture and our connections. The Government will continue to push forward new initiatives in the years ahead. With regard to the Commonwealth, we can say that there is much to celebrate but there is also much to do.
Thank you. I thank all our visitors for attending this evening’s debate, but I thank in particular our special envoy, Annie Lennox.
Meeting closed at 18:13.