Would Edinburgh be a suitable location?
By hamish; 26 Oct 2005 [Category: All]Edinburgh would appear to be a suitable location for such an international centre. Its potential has been highlighted by Scotland’s role in preparing for the Gleneagles G8 Summit in 2005. Edinburgh’s relevant strengths include:
- Scotland’s strong historical and current international connections with both the developed and the developing world.
- Edinburgh’s strong reputation and connections in legal and financial circles
- Scotland’s longstanding international reputation for integrity
- Edinburgh’s existing reputation as a city of fair trade, ethical investment, and responsible approaches to sustainable development.
Scotland’s international role is recognised by the Scottish Parliament, which has an active Parliamentary International Development Group (IDG). Both Clare Short and Hilary Benn have visited the IDG and welcomed Scotland’s valuable contribution to international development. The Anti-Corruption Unit of the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) was transferred to East Kilbride in 2005, and now forms part of DFID’s Financial Accountability and Anti-Corruption Team (FACT).
Preliminary discussions in Edinburgh indicate broad interest amongst the development community in the idea of Edinburgh as an international centre for combating corruption. There would be benefits to both Edinburgh and Scotland – an Edinburgh-based centre would benefit its Financial and Legal sectors, as it would serve to reinforce positive impressions of Edinburgh. And Ethical Edinburgh would align with the Scottish Executive’s objective to promote a positive, outward-facing profile for Scotland. Consequently, they may be willing to back the idea.
October 31st, 2005 at 12:04 pm
Edinburgh is good if you live near it. It would not be very convenient for others if it is necessary to travel there.
October 31st, 2005 at 11:43 pm
Though the physical location of the centre would carry some significance, it should not affect access to services, which would all be internet based. The only meetings that would obviously need to take place in Edinburgh are those intended to identify local support and possible local host institutions
November 5th, 2005 at 11:10 am
I wonder whether ‘Edinburgh’ should be included in the name of the initiative. It may imply that those unable to visit are excluded or that Edinburgh itself is either in need of ethics or is already ethical. I do not question the location of the centre but whether ‘Edinburgh’ should be in the name.
December 9th, 2005 at 9:36 am
It is not intended that the “Ethical Edinburgh” title should be retained indefinitely. Once the centre is up and running with an identity of its own, it is anticipated that the “Ethical Edinburgh” name, and the associated web domains, will be made available to a broader umbrella web site that would provide links to a wider range of ethical initiatives for which Edinburgh has an international reputation.