We hear from Simita Kumar MSP, the new Minister for International Development, on the powerful connections that reinforce her commitment to sustainable development.
“As Scotland’s new Minister for International Development, I am determined to honour and deepen Scotland’s commitment to global solidarity by working in partnership with the organisations and communities who lead and shape this work every day.
My own story feels deeply connected to this work. Born in the Fiji Islands, I understood from an early age that access to education and opportunity is anything but equal. My grandmother never attended school because her brothers’ education was prioritised over hers. That lived experience is why tackling poverty and injustice is not just a policy priority for me – it is personal, and why I believe those closest to the challenges must have power and voice in shaping the solutions.
Those experiences also shape how I view the Scottish Government’s approach to international development. We recognise that inequality is structural, that power and resources are unevenly distributed, and that lasting change cannot be delivered from the outside. Instead, progress comes from listening, from humility, and from working in genuine partnership with those most affected. This commitment to partnership, participation and shared responsibility sits at the heart of how Scotland seeks to engage internationally.
Growing up in Fiji also means that climate change is viscerally real to me. Across island states and low-income countries, communities are already experiencing its impacts most acutely, despite having contributed least to its causes. These are not distant threats – they are shaping lives and livelihoods right now. Addressing them requires collective action, with Scotland playing its part responsibly and in solidarity with others.
Scotland’s international development community is integral to how we respond. Your expertise, relationships, and advocacy are central to our efforts. I want to be a minister who listens, learns, and works alongside civil society organisations and partner country communities through genuine partnership.
I am proud of what we have achieved together. Our funding supports long-standing partnerships with Malawi, Zambia, and Rwanda, alongside a scholarships programme focused on girls’ education in Pakistan. From global health and education partnerships to the Women and Girls Fund advancing gender equality, these initiatives are shaped by partner country priorities and grounded in local leadership.
But significant challenges remain. Across the Global South, people face intersecting pressures – poverty, inequality, and climate shocks leading to food insecurity, floods and droughts. Rising debt burdens limit investment in essential services and climate-resilient infrastructure. The lived realities of communities Scotland has deep lasting ties with demand that we act with ambition and purpose.
That is why Scotland must continue to lead with compassion and conviction. Through our International Development Fund and Climate Justice Fund, we will continue to support partner led development, advance equality and respond to global challenges. We will increase the £16 million International Development Fund by at least 25% by the end of this Parliament, alongside the continuation and growth of our Climate Justice Fund. We will also engage with stakeholders on the creation of an aid match scheme. We are increasing our funding for responses to humanitarian emergencies around the world, also recognising the disproportionate impact of conflict and crisis on women and girls.
We remain committed to being a good global citizen, working together with civil society organisations in Scotland and in our partner countries. I am honoured to play my part in supporting an approach to international development that is partner-led and champions sustainability, human rights, and equality.”
The SIDA team look forward to working closely alongside the new Minister, and are very pleased to welcome Simita to our upcoming Annual Conference at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, or online, on Tuesday 29th September.