Towards a Welsh sports diplomacy strategy

Key messages:

- Considering the Welsh Government’s 2020 International Strategy the time is right to ask what role sport plays in Wales’ international engagement and diplomatic activities.
- Sports diplomacy presents a unique opportunity for Wales to lead the way in terms of innovative, sub-state policy.
- In terms of sporting soft power assets, Wales stands above a veritable but untapped goldmine of talent, resources and opportunity.
- The nature, responsibilities and power of diplomacy and sport are changing. Wales needs to think about what it means to be a sporting and outward facing nation today.
- Coupling foreign policy objectives with sport is a low-risk, relatively low-cost and high-profile method of raising Wales’ international profile, growing the Welsh economy and establishing Wales as a globally responsible nation.
- Sport interacts with and can amplify other soft power assets. Sport can be a vessel to showcase a nation’s values and sense of global responsibility.
- Wales could join a growing list of countries with sports diplomacy strategies, offices, officers, incubators and hubs. In doing so, Wales would be the first sub-state government in the world to have a specific sports diplomacy strategy.
- Increased partnership between government, the sports industry, Welsh and UK international agencies and the Welsh people themselves is vital to unlocking Wales’ sports diplomacy potential.