On the day that Vaughan Gething’s appointment as First Minister of Wales is confirmed, Welsh members of the Peace Pledge Union have urged him to “strive to make Wales a beacon of peace which can provide an example to the rest of the world”.

In an open letter, the organisation praises Wales’ proud history of nurturing peace, and recognises some of the Welsh Government’s recent initiatives which have maintained that tradition. But they also highlight a series of policies which contradict those same principles of peace.

Specifically, the Welsh Government still provides subsidies and other support for the arms trade in Wales, causing death and misery to thousands of people around the world, many of them innocent civilians. The Welsh Government is also still failing to regulate or restrict military recruitment visits to schools in Wales, even though the recruitment of under-18s to the military goes against the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Ed Bridges, a Council Member of the PPU, said: “The appointment of a new First Minister represents a big opportunity for the Welsh Government to live its values on peace. Wales, and our new FM, have a moral duty to act as a force for peace in the world. The PPU looks forward to playing our part in ensuring Wales continues its proud history of opposing war, conflict and division.”

PPU Wales members will also be meeting in April to plan how to follow up their open letter. Anyone interested in contributing can contact mail@ppu.org.uk