Chamber and committees

That the Parliament expresses its sympathy with the people of Nepal following the tragic flash floods and landslides that struck the country on 26 August 2026; mourns the reported deaths of more than 1,300 people and recognises the affliction of families still searching for thousands who remain missing; understands that infrastructure and livelihoods have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving communities isolated and in urgent need of food, clean water, shelter and healthcare; welcomes the work of Nepal’s emergency services, local communities and humanitarian organisations responding to the disaster; believes that the disaster was triggered by a high-altitude collapse of rock and glacier ice; recognises the increasing risks that melting ice and extreme weather pose to communities across the Himalayan region; considers that Nepal has contributed very little to global greenhouse gas emissions while facing some of the gravest consequences of the climate crisis; believes that climate breakdown is increasingly intensifying humanitarian emergencies and placing additional pressure on already vulnerable communities, and that humanitarian responses must therefore be linked to long-term climate adaptation and resilience; further believes that this tragedy emphasises the urgent need for international climate action and adaptation funding; notes calls for urgent support for Nepal through the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund and from the wider international community, and affirms what it sees as Scotland’s responsibility to stand in solidarity with communities on the front line of the climate crisis.

That the Parliament expresses its continuing solidarity with the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country on 24 June 2026; mourns the thousands of people who lost their lives and recognises that many families are still searching for missing loved ones; understands that homes and essential infrastructure were destroyed and communities were left in urgent need of food, clean water, shelter, healthcare and long-term support; further understands that the disaster struck a country already experiencing a severe humanitarian and economic crisis; welcomes the work of local responders, international humanitarian organisations and the 14 Disasters Emergency Committee member charities responding alongside their partners in Venezuela; further welcomes the £250,000 provided by the Scottish Government from its Humanitarian Emergency Fund and the generosity that has raised more than £20 million through the DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal; recognises that the need for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction continues long after the disaster has left the headlines; encourages people in Scotland who are able to do so to support the appeal; calls for humanitarian assistance to reach affected communities safely and according to need, and affirms Scotland’s responsibility to act as a good global citizen by supporting people affected by humanitarian emergencies.

That the Parliament congratulations Inclusion Scotland on its 25th anniversary in 2026; notes that the organisation was established in 2001 and works to achieve positive changes to policy and practice so that disabled people are fully included throughout society as equal citizens; recognises its work to support disabled people to become decision-makers, including through the Access to Elected Office Fund; considers that the anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on progress made in advancing disability justice as well as on the barriers and inequalities that remain; commends Inclusion Scotland’s members, staff, board and partners for their contribution to advancing the rights, voices and choices of disabled people across Scotland, and wishes Inclusion Scotland every success for the future.

That the Parliament welcomes the 14th annual Imam Hussain Blood Donation Campaign in Edinburgh, which promotes blood donation across diverse communities and brings together civic, faith and health partners; commends campaign organisers, Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, and all involved in delivering the campaign and promoting voluntary blood donation; recognises the vital role that blood donors play in supporting people and healthcare services across Scotland; notes that a single blood donation can save or improve the lives of up to three people; acknowledges the campaign’s longstanding contribution to encouraging community participation in life-saving acts of generosity and public service, and wishes every success to the organisers, volunteers and donors taking part in the 2026 campaign.

That the Parliament notes that the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) Code of Practice (CoP) relating to trans people accessing public spaces and services will come into force from 5 August 2026; believes that the implementation of the CoP will create a real risk of daily human rights violations for trans people across the UK and the potential for the UK to breach its international obligations; notes that the earlier informal guidance from the EHRC on how to implement the Supreme Court ruling of April 2025 is already having what it sees as significant impacts, with many organisations reportedly taking steps to exclude trans people from services that align with their gender identity, putting them at increased risk of harassment and violence, and effectively pushing them out of public life; further notes what it sees as the harm to cisgender people who present in gender non-conforming ways who, it believes, will also risk harassment and an invasion of privacy; is concerned that workplaces, businesses and other organisations will now face pressure to enforce what it considers to be unworkable guidance; commends the tireless work of equality organisations, trade unions, community organisations, trans-led and LGBTQIA+ groups and campaigners across Scotland and the UK and their continued work to protect trans people and to respond to this guidance; believes that the Scottish Government needs to provide a clear analysis of how public bodies with legal obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 can ensure that implementation of the CoP upholds the human rights of everyone, including trans people, and reaffirms its commitment to protecting the rights, dignity and safety of trans people and ensuring that Scotland remains a welcoming place for all LGBTQIA+ communities.

That the Parliament expresses its concern at what it sees as the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, which the WHO has described as "the world’s largest humanitarian crisis", with more than 33 million people believed to be requiring humanitarian assistance and 13.4 million displaced; notes with alarm that a new cholera outbreak, which was declared on 27 June 2026 by Sudan's Federal Ministry of Health, has spread across Kordofan and Darfur, resulting in more than 1,330 reported cases and 114 deaths; condemns the killings, sexual violence, ethnic persecution, starvation and attacks on civilians during the conflict; notes the International Criminal Court’s announcement in July 2026 that investigators have obtained strong evidence linking atrocities in Darfur to leadership levels; further notes Amnesty International’s findings in its report, City Under Siege, Children Under Fire: Rapid Support Forces' Crimes Against Humanity in North Darfur, that the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has committed crimes against humanity during the siege and seizure of El Fasher and that its destruction of predominantly Zaghawa villages was consistent with ethnic cleansing; expresses alarm at reported evidence suggesting that weaponry and other support have reached the RSF through networks connected to the United Arab Emirates (UAE); is concerned that continued UK and US arms trading and military cooperation with the UAE risks enabling further abuses; considers that accountability, increased humanitarian assistance and unrestricted access for relief organisations is essential, and expresses its solidarity with and deepest sympathies for the people of Sudan.

That the Parliament understands that Manahel al-Otaibi is reportedly serving what it considers to be an unjust 11-year prison sentence in Saudi Arabia for social media posts in support of women’s rights; expresses grave concern that Manahel has reportedly been subject to physical abuse and sexual harassment in prison and has not been able to access appropriate medical care; welcomes the work done by Amnesty International, including the organisation's Edinburgh Central branch, to campaign for her release and calls on the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to check on Manahel’s welfare; believes that her imprisonment is what it considers to be an example of the Saudi Arabian state’s hostility to and mistreatment of women’s rights activists and human rights activists more generally, with Fawzia al-Otaibi also reportedly facing similar charges; understands that, since 2013, Amnesty International has documented the cases of 86 individuals which it reports have been prosecuted solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, including human rights defenders, peaceful political activists, journalists, poets and religious officials, with the organisation warning that the actual number of such prosecutions is likely to be much higher, and calls on the government of Saudi Arabia to release Manahel and all other people who have reportedly been imprisoned for speaking out on human rights.

That the Parliament congratulates the Scotland for Decrim campaign on winning the David & Goliath Award, which is sponsored by Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, at the Sheila McKechnie Foundation’s National Campaigner Awards 2026; understands that Scotland for Decrim is a campaigning organisation dedicated to achieving the full decriminalisation of sex work, including by rejecting the Nordic Model and promoting the safety and rights of sex workers; recognises the organisation's grassroots origins, having begun as a small collective of current and former sex workers, academics, third sector workers and trade union representatives and growing into a broad cross-sector coalition; notes what it considers to be the campaign's success in reaching and educating the public about decriminalising sex work, aiming for sex workers to be legally protected from exploitation, trafficking and violence and to have improved access to support and healthcare; further notes that the organisation also advocates for better anti-poverty measures so that no one has to engage in sex work if they do not want to; thanks the organisation for bringing parliamentary awareness to the complex issues underpinning anti-sex-work, legislation as well as providing avenues for those who would be impacted by the legislation to have their voices heard, and further thanks the campaigners at the heart of this coalition for continuing this important work.

That the Parliament welcomes the fourth annual Saroj Lal Awards for City of Edinburgh schools on 11 June 2026 at The Hub in Edinburgh; notes that the awards were established in 2022 and that this year’s event focuses on equality and diversity and the embracing of all protected characteristics; understands that they were founded in memory of Saroj Lal, one of the earliest women from minority ethnic backgrounds to teach in an Edinburgh primary school, having begun her role at South Morningside Primary in August 1970; notes that her contributions to Scotland and the capital included being at the forefront of race relations from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, working with Lothian and Borders Police to improve the handling of racism and racial attacks and leaving a lasting legacy for women and minority and marginalised communities; recognises the contribution of Saroj Lal and her husband, Amrit Lal, in founding the Hindu Mandir on St Andrew Place in Leith as a temple, cultural centre and focal point for the Hindu community; congratulates all nominees, including pupils and staff, on their awards, and thanks the Lal family for their continued efforts to commemorate an important and inspirational figure in Edinburgh’s recent history.

That the Parliament congratulates Migrant Justice Edinburgh (MJE) for being one of the 11 projects selected by the Regenerative Futures Fund Residents’ Panel, thereby successfully securing long-term funding for the next 10 years; understands that this will enable the grassroots collective of Edinburgh-based organisations to continue what it sees as their important work in ensuring that migrant voices are central to ongoing conversations about climate justice, just transition, racial justice and anti-poverty work in the city; celebrates that this funding will also enable the development of other work, including building solidarity, organising and taking collective action among migrants across the city on issues that affect them, and thanks the panel for recognising the importance of long-term funding for grassroots initiatives as well as the three Edinburgh-based organisations, Citizens Rights Project, The Workers Observatory and Empowering Multicultural Communities Alliance, for forming MJE and developing such impactful migrant-led initiatives.