The Welsh Government’s international relations work lacks strategic direction and financial transparency, according to a Senedd committee report published today.
The report, from the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee, sets out a bold new vision, Mission Cymru, to guide future Welsh Governments.
The Committee highlights that Wales has a valuable role to play on the world stage, supported by strong international goodwill, expertise and global connections. However, it warns that without a clear strategy, it is difficult to assess priorities, impact or value for money. This, the Committee says, is why it is essential that future governments take a more focused approach.
Delyth Jewell MS, Chair of the Senedd’s Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee, said:
“Our inquiry has found that understanding Wales’s international relations has been hampered by confusion, fragmented planning and a lack of accountability. Those who have given evidence to our Committee have told us time and again that they are uncertain about government priorities and how success is being measured.
“As we enter a time of yet more turbulence in the relations that knit nations together, the need for clear and measurable principles for our own international relations activity has never been greater. Geography may have placed us at the corner of a continent, but Wales’s voice must never be marginal.
“Our new long-term vision for Wales’s international relations, Mission Cymru, provides a practical route to address these failings and put Wales’s international relations on a stronger footing to support the delivery of tangible results.”
Financial transparency
The Committee’s report raises serious concerns about financial transparency. It states that it has been unable to scrutinise more than £58 million allocated to international relations with confidence, despite repeated attempts over several years.
The Committee has still not been provided with the information needed to determine whether this money has been used effectively. Key gaps in transparency, inconsistent reporting, and late or incomplete updates have made it impossible to fully scrutinise outcomes, value for money, or alignment with government priorities.
As a result, the Committee remains unable to assess whether the significant investment made during this Senedd term has delivered the intended benefits for Wales.
Key criticisms
The report concludes that the government’s approach to international relations is characterised by too many overlapping strategies and plans, alongside a lack of clarity about priorities and how success is measured.
The Committee found poor availability of information, including an incomplete record of Wales’s international agreements, and repeated failures to notify the Senedd of key developments, such as the signing of new or renewed agreements. It argues that the Welsh Government is doing itself a disservice by not capturing and communicating its work coherently. Stronger transparency, it says, is essential for effective democratic scrutiny.
The report also criticises inadequate ministerial scrutiny and accountability. Although international relations sit within the First Minister’s portfolio, the Committee notes that the First Minister attends scrutiny sessions only once a year and has declined to appear for other forms of scrutiny, including budget evidence sessions.
The future of international relations in Wales
The Committee is calling on future Welsh Governments to adopt Mission Cymru, a new set of twelve principles designed to provide a clear, long-term vision for Wales’s international relations.
