SCOTLAND is to become one of the first countries in the world to sign up to a new international action plan aimed at tackling poverty and inequality and promoting sustainable development.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that the country will adopt the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which outline a number of high-level objectives for countries, including ending poverty, ensuring access to education and achieving gender equality.

The goals, which will be formally confirmed at the UN's General Assembly in New York in September, form the basis of a global partnership for sustainable development, engaging governments, civil society, the private sector and the UN system.

The Scottish Government will have to formally report back to the UN on its progress in achieving the objectives, which it claims already align with the Scotland's National Performance Framework.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals offer a vision of the world that I believe people in Scotland share. From ending poverty and hunger; securing education and health services; combating inequality and achieving gender equality, the aims set out by the UN form an agenda for tackling some of the world’s greatest problems.

"That is why I am delighted to confirm that Scotland has become one of the first nations on Earth to publicly sign up to these goals and provide international leadership on reducing inequality across the globe.

"We need to grasp the opportunity that following this path offers to create a fairer Scotland and a better world both now and for generations to come."

The SDGs include aims to end poverty in all its forms, end hunger, achieve gender equality and promote sustainable economic growth, with decent employment available for everyone.

Nations signing up to the action plan will also have to take urgent steps to combat climate change and its impact, as well as promoting conservation and sustainability and ensuring quality education and learning opportunities for everyone.

The aim is to fulfill all of these goals by 2030.

Alexander Mejia, a director of the The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) said: "The United Nations is leading the global dialogue towards a renewed agenda for development.

"UNITAR has been tasked with the ever important responsibility of building the capacity of national, regional and local governments to ensure the new Sustainable Development Goals are embraced and achieved as planned between 2014 and 2030.

"We are doing it with the support of important partners, including the Scottish Government, and with Scottish expertise based at our international training centre in Edinburgh.

"I sincerely admire First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's strategic vision and commend her commitment to the future of our planet."