TheNon-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 121 countries thatare not formally aligned with or against any majorpower bloc. It was founded with the view to advancing interests of developing countries in the context ofCold War confrontation.[5] After theUnited Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.[2][6]
The movement originated in the aftermath of theKorean War, as an effort by some countries to counterbalance the rapid bi-polarization of the world during the Cold War, whereby two major powers formed blocs and embarked on a policy to pull the rest of the world into their orbits. One of these was the pro-Sovietsocialist bloc whose best known alliance was theWarsaw Pact, and the other the pro-Americancapitalist group of countries, many of which belonged toNATO. In 1961, drawing on the principles agreed at theBandung Conference of 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement was formally established inBelgrade,Yugoslavia, through an initiative led by Yugoslav presidentJosip Broz Tito, Indian prime ministerJawaharlal Nehru, Ghanaian presidentKwame Nkrumah, Indonesian presidentSukarno, andUnited Arab Republic presidentGamal Abdel Nasser.[7][8][9]
The countries of the Non-Aligned Movement represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations' members and contain 55% of the world population. Membership is particularly concentrated in countries considered to bedeveloping countries, although the Non-Aligned Movement also has a number ofdeveloped nations.[13]
The Non-Aligned Movement gained the most traction in the 1950s and early 1960s, when the international policy of non-alignment achieved major successes indecolonization,disarmament,opposition to racism and opposition toapartheid in South Africa, and persisted throughout the entire Cold War, despite several conflicts between members, and despite some members developing closer ties with either the Soviet Union, China, or the United States.[13] In the years since theCold War's end in 1991, the movement has focused on developing multilateral ties and connections as well as unity among the developing nations of the world, especially those in theGlobal South.[13]
The term 'Non-Alignment' was used for the first time in 1950 at theUnited Nations byIndia andYugoslavia, both of which refused to align themselves with any side in the multi-alliances involvingKorean War.[14] Drawing on the principles agreed at theBandung Conference in 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement as an organization was founded on theBrijuni islands in Yugoslavia in 1956 and was formalized by signing the Declaration of Brijuni on 19 July 1956. The Declaration was signed by Yugoslavia's president, Josip Broz Tito, India's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Egypt's president, Gamal Abdel Nasser. One of the quotations within the Declaration is "Peace can not be achieved with separation, but with the aspiration towards collective security in global terms and expansion of freedom, as well as terminating the domination of one country over another". According toRejaul Karim Laskar, an ideologue of theCongress party which ruled India for most part of theCold War years, the Non-Aligned Movement arose from the desire of Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders of the newly independent countries of the third world to guard their independence and sovereignty "in face of complex international situation demanding allegiance to either two warring superpowers".[15]
But it soon after became the name to refer to the participants of theConference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries first held in 1961. The term "non-alignment" was established in 1953 at the United Nations. Nehru used the phrase in a 1954 speech in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In this speech, Zhou Enlai and Nehru described theFive Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to be used as a guide forSino-Indian relations calledPanchsheel (five restraints); these principles would later serve as the basis of the Non-Aligned Movement. The five principles were:
A significant milestone in the development of the Non-Aligned Movement was the 1955Bandung Conference, a conference of Asian and African states hosted by Indonesian presidentSukarno, who gave a significant boost to promote this movement. Bringing together Sukarno,U Nu, Nasser, Nehru, Tito, Nkrumah and Menon with the likes ofHo Chi Minh,Zhou Enlai, andNorodom Sihanouk, as well asU Thant and a youngIndira Gandhi, the conference adopted a "declaration on promotion of world peace and cooperation", which included Zhou Enlai and Nehru's five principles, and a collective pledge to remain neutral in theCold War. Six years after Bandung, an initiative of Yugoslav presidentJosip Broz Tito led to the firstConference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, which was held in September 1961 in Belgrade.[17] The termnon-aligned movement appears first in the fifth conference in 1976, where participating countries are denoted asmembers of the movement.[18]
At theLusaka Conference in September 1970, the member nations added as aims of the movement the peaceful resolution of disputes and the abstention from the big power military alliances and pacts. Another added aim was opposition to stationing ofmilitary bases in foreign countries.[19]
In 1975, the member nations which also were part of theUnited Nations General Assembly pushed for theResolution 3379 along withArab countries and the support of theSoviet bloc. It was a declarative non-binding measure that equated Zionism with South Africa'sApartheid and as a form of racial discrimination. The bloc voting produced a majority in theUnited Nations that systematically condemned Israel in the following resolutions: 3089, 3210, 3236, 32/40, etc.
Some Non-Aligned member nations were involved in serious conflicts with other members, notablyIndia and Pakistan as well asIran and Iraq.
Cuba's role
In the 1970s, Cuba made a major effort to assume a leadership role in the world's non-alignment movement. The country established military advisory missions and economic and social reform programs. The1976 world conference of the Non-Aligned Movement applauded Cuban internationalism, "which assisted the people of Angola in frustrating the expansionist and colonialist strategy of South Africa's racist regime and its allies." Thenext Non-Aligned conference was scheduled for Havana in 1979, to be chaired byFidel Castro, with his becoming the de facto spokesman for the Movement. The conference in September 1979 marked the zenith of Cuban prestige. Most, but not all, attendees believed that Cuba was not aligned with the Soviet camp in the Cold War.[20]
However, in December 1979, the Soviet Unionintervened in Afghanistan's civil war. Up until that time, Afghanistan was also an active member of the Non-Aligned Movement. At the United Nations, nonaligned members voted 56 to 9, with 26 abstaining, to condemn the Soviet Union. Cuba voted against the resolution, in support of the USSR. It lost its nonaligned leadership and reputation after Castro, instead of becoming a high-profile spokesman for the movement, remained quiet and inactive. More broadly the movement was deeply split over the Soviet–Afghan War in 1979, as many members of the Non-Aligned Movement, particularly thepredominantly Muslim states, condemned it.[21]
With the end of the Cold War, the Non-Aligned Movement transformed. Thebreakup of Yugoslavia (a prominent founding member) in 1991–1992 also affected the movement; the regular Ministerial Meeting of the Movement, held inNew York during the regular yearly session of theGeneral Assembly of the United Nations in 1992 suspended Yugoslavia's membership.[22][23][24] The various successor states of Yugoslavia have expressed little interest in membership, thoughBosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia,Montenegro andSerbia retain observer status. India, another founding member, appears to havedowngraded its emphasis on the movement.[25]
Membership applications fromBosnia and Herzegovina and fromCosta Rica were rejected in 1995 and 1998 respectively.[24] In 2004Malta andCyprus ceased to be members when they joined theEuropean Union, as required.Azerbaijan andFiji are the most recent entrants, both having joined the Movement in 2011. Azerbaijan andBelarus, which joined in 1998, remain the only members on the continent of Europe.
Since the end of theCold War, the Non-Aligned Movement has felt forced to redefine itself and to reinvent its purpose in the newworld-system. A major question has been whether any of its foundational ideologies, principally national independence, territorial integrity, and the struggle against colonialism and imperialism, apply to contemporary issues. The movement has emphasized its principles of multilateralism, equality, and mutual non-aggression in attempting to become a stronger voice for the Global South, and an instrument that can promote the needs of member-nations at the international level and strengthen their political leverage when negotiating with developed nations. In its efforts to advance Southern interests, the movement has stressed the importance of cooperation and unity amongst member states.[26] However, as in the past, cohesion remains a problem, since the size of the organization and the divergence of agendas and allegiances present the ongoing potential for fragmentation. While agreement on basic principles has been smooth, taking definitive actionvis-à-vis particular international issues has been rare, with the movement preferring to assert its criticism or support rather than to pass hard-line resolutions.[27]
The movement continues to see a role for itself: in its view, the world's poorest nations remain exploited and marginalized, no longer by opposing superpowers, but rather in a uni-polar world,[28] and it is Western hegemony and neo-colonialism that the movement has really re-aligned itself against. It opposes foreign occupation, interference in internal affairs and aggressive unilateral measures, but it has also shifted to focus on the socio-economic challenges facing member states, especially the inequalities manifested byglobalization and the implications ofneo-liberal policies. The Non-Aligned Movement has identified economicunderdevelopment,poverty, and social injustices as growing threats to peace and security.[28]
The16th NAM summit took place inTehran, Iran, from 26 to 31 August 2012. According to the Teheran-basedMehr News Agency, representatives from over 150 countries were scheduled to attend.[29] Attendance at the highest level included 27 presidents, two kings and emirs, seven prime ministers, nine vice-presidents, two parliamentary spokesmen and five special envoys.[30] At the summit, Iran took over from Egypt as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement for the period 2012 to 2015.[31]
In 2016 Venezuela hosted the 17th NAM Summit.[32][33]
Azerbaijan, host of the18th NAM summit in 2019, holds the Non-Aligned Movement presidency pending the19th NAM summit, which took place in Kampala, Uganda in January 2024.[34]
Organizational structure and membership
The movement stems from a desire not to be aligned within a geopolitical/military structure and therefore itself does not have a very strict organizational structure.[3] Some organizational basics were defined at the 1996Cartagena Document on Methodology[35] The Summit Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned States is "the highest decision making authority". The chairmanship rotates between countries and changes at every summit of heads of state or government to the country organizing the summit.[35]
Requirements for membership of the Non-Aligned Movement coincide with the key beliefs of the United Nations. The current requirements are that the candidate country has displayed practices in accordance with the ten "Bandung principles" of 1955:[35]
The Non-Aligned Movement espouses policies and practices of cooperation, especially those that are multilateral and provide mutual benefit to all those involved. Almost all of the members of the Non-Aligned Movement are also members of the United Nations. Both organizations have a stated policy of peaceful cooperation, yet the successes the NAM has had with multilateral agreements tend to be ignored by the larger, western- and developed- nation-dominated UN.[40] African concerns about apartheid were linked with Arab-Asianconcerns about Palestine[40] and multilateral cooperation in these areas has enjoyed moderate success. The Non-Aligned Movement has played a major role in variousideological conflicts throughout its existence, including extreme opposition to apartheid governments and support of guerrilla movements in various locations, includingRhodesia and South Africa.[41]
Current activities and positions
Reform of the UN Security Council
The movement has been outspoken in its criticism of current UN structures and power dynamics, and advocating for thereforming of the United Nations Security Council, stating that the organization has been used by powerful states in ways that violate the movement's principles. It has made a number of recommendations that it says would strengthen the representation and power of "non-aligned" states. The proposedUN reforms are also aimed at improving the transparency and democracy of UN decision-making. TheUN Security Council is the element it considers the most distorted, undemocratic, and in need of reshaping.[42]
Since 1973, the group has supported the discussion of the case ofWestern Sahara's self-determination before the United Nations.[43] The movement reaffirmed in its meeting (Sharm El Sheikh 2009) the support to the Self-determination of theSahrawi people by choosing between any valid option, welcomed the direct converzations between the parties, and remembered the responsibility of the United Nations on the Sahrawi issue.[44]
Sustainable developments
The movement is publicly committed to the tenets ofsustainable development and the attainment of theMillennium Development Goals, but it believes that the international community has not created conditions conducive to development and has infringed upon the right to sovereign development by each member state. Issues such as globalization, thedebt burden,unfair trade practices, the decline in foreign aid,donor conditionality, and the lack of democracy in international financial decision-making are cited as factors inhibiting development.[45]
Criticism of US foreign policy
In recent years the organization has criticized certain aspects of US foreign policy. The2003 invasion of Iraq and thewar on terrorism, its attempts to stifleIran andNorth Korea's nuclear plans, and its other actions have been denounced by some members of the Non-Aligned Movement as attempts to run roughshod over the sovereignty of smaller nations; at the most recent summit,Kim Yong-nam, chairman of North Korea's parliamentary standing committee, stated, "The United States is attempting to deprive other countries of even their legitimate right to peaceful nuclear activities."[46]
NAM Centres
Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation
"Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation" redirects here. For South-South Cooperation, seeSouth–South cooperation.
The Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC) as anintergovernmental institution, which enables developing countries to increase national capacity and their collectiveself-reliance,[47] forms part of the efforts of NAM.[48] The NAM CSSTC is located inJakarta, Indonesia with a South-South Technical Cooperation focus.[49] The NAM CSSTC was set up a few years after theCold War to promote development indeveloping countries and to accelerate growth. From 18 to 20 October 1995, inCartagena de Indias, 140 nations gathered and accepted a final document stating in paragraph 313 of the Final Document the establishment of the Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation inIndonesia.
The organization aims to achieve the development goal of developing countries to achievesustainable human development and enable developing countries to be equal partners ininternational relations, in accordance with the Final Document.
The NAM CSSTC's main body is the board of directors.[50][51] In addition, the Board of Directors has a consultative arrangement with a Governing Council under the leadership of theVice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and its members include Ambassador of Brunei, Ambassador of Cuba and Ambassador of South Africa. The head of the administrative officer of NAM CSSTC is accredited by Ronny Prasetyo Yuliantoro, Director, current Indonesian diplomat and Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to theIslamic Republic of Iran, who began his term of office on 1 July 2018.[52] The organization is financed by Indonesia's volunteer contributions.[53][54] The NAM CSSTC, its officers, consists of a full-time staff who are not affiliated with any other governmental institution except their head of the administrative officer, who is typically nominated from Echelon-I or Echelon-II staff from the Indonesian ministries. Some say the organization is a major endeavour tobuild NAM member countries' capacities.[55]
History
A few years before the NAM CSSTC was set up, the NAM summit in 1992 in Jakarta to discuss efforts to strengthen collective autonomy and to review of the international economic environment in order to step upSouth-South cooperation.[56]
After the admission of Brunei Darussalam to the NAM during the summit, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia called for a South-South Technical Cooperation Centre (now known as the NAM CSSTC) to be established by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government ofBrunei Darussalam with the aim of organizing different training, research and seminar programmes and activities. The programme activities, aimed ateradicating poverty, encouragingSMEs and the application ofinformation communication technologies.
Programmes
The NAM CSSTC carries out its activities through cooperation with NAM member countries' training centres and specialists and other multilateral organizations. Examples include Workshop onIUU fishing eradication,[57] dispatch of agricultural experts toMyanmar[58] and international tissue culture training.[59]
Evaluations
NAM CSSTC reports quarterly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the NAM Coordinating Bureau in New York. Annually, the Ministry and the Bureau will be given additional details on programmes and events, including their assessments.[60]
Other NAM Centres focus on the health, human rights (Center for Human Rights and Cultural Diversity) and technology (Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries) sectors are each located inCuba,Iran andIndia.
"Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization" redirects here. For Youth Organizations, seeYouth organizations.
Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization (NAMYO) was established in October 2021.[61][62]
Cultural diversity and human rights
The movement accepts the universality of human rights and social justice, but fiercely resists cultural homogenization.[63][citation needed] In line with its views on sovereignty, the organization appeals for the protection of cultural diversity, and the tolerance of the religious, socio-cultural, and historical particularities that define human rights in a specific region.[64][failed verification]
Working groups, task forces, committees
Currently, the NAM Working Groups (WG) are chaired by the following countries:[65]
Algeria – WG Reform of the UN and revitalization of the General Assembly
Egypt - WG on the Reform of the UN Security Council
Indonesia – WG on Disarmament
Cuba – WG on Human Rights
Morocco – WG on peacekeeping operations
Iran – WG on Legal Matters
Venezuela – WG on Unilateral Coercive Measures
Bangladesh – Peacebuilding Caucus
Other Working groups, task forces, committees:[66]
Committee on Palestine
High-Level Working Group for the Restructuring of the United Nations
Joint Coordinating Committee (chaired by Chairman of G-77 and Chairman of NAM)
Non-Aligned Security Caucus
Standing Ministerial Committee for Economic Cooperation
The conference of Heads of State or Government of the Non-Aligned Countries, often referred to as Non-Aligned Movement Summit is the main meeting within the movement and are held every few years:[67]
Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence[71]
A variety of ministerial meetings are held between the summit meetings. Some are specialists, such as the meeting on "Inter-Faith Dialogue and Co-operation for Peace", held in Manila, the Philippines, 16–18 March 2010. There is a general Conference of Foreign Ministers every three years. The most recent were in Bali, Indonesia, 23–27 May 2011 and Algiers, Algeria, 26–29 May 2014.
The7th Summit was originally planned for September 1982 inBaghdad, the Iraqi capital, during theIran-Iraq War.[72] On 21 July of that year, theIslamic Republic of Iran Air Force executed the "Baghdad Operation", an effort to disrupt that proposal by showing Baghdad's airspace was unsafe.[73] TwoMcDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II planes bombarded Al-Dura refinery withMk82 bombs. One plane returned damaged and the other (along with its pilot) was lost to Iraqi defensive fire.[74] Combined with threats by an Iranian-backed terror group to kill the visiting heads of state, the effort was successful. On 11 August, Iraqi PresidentSaddam Hussein announced that he would support Cuba's suggestion of a summit in New Delhi to be held in 1983. "Iraq will take part in the conference even if held in Tehran... We propose that the seventh conference be held in India."[75]
An online summit titled "United Against Covid-19" conducted on 4 May 2020, on the initiative of the chairman of the NAM for the 2019–2022 period, addressed mainly the global struggle to fight theCOVID-19 pandemics and supporting NAM to increase its role in dealing with and mitigating the outcomes caused by this disease in NAM, as well as other countries.[78][79]
The Coordinating Bureau, also based at the UN, is the main instrument for directing the work of the movement's task forces, committees and working groups. Day-to-day work of NAM is being carried out by Working Groups, on behalf of the Coordinating Bureau.[65]
Members, observers and guests
Current members
Non-Aligned Movement member countries by year joined
The following countries are members of the NAM, arranged by continent, showing their year of admission:[2]
Africa
Currently, every African country is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement.
There is no permanent guest status, but often several non-member countries are represented as guests at conferences.[101] In addition, a large number of organizations, both from within theUN system and from outside, are always invited as guests.[102]
^Lai Kwon Kin (2 September 1992)."Yugoslavia casts shadow over non-aligned summit".The Independent. Archived fromthe original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved26 September 2009.Iran and several other Muslim nations want the rump state of Yugoslavia kicked out, saying it no longer represents the country which helped to found the movement.
^ab"NAM Summits". Non-Aligned Movement. Archived fromthe original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved6 April 2019.Nicolás Maduro Moros, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who was elected by acclamation as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
^Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation. (n.d.). Mission, Vission & Objective. Retrieved from Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation:http://csstc.org/v_ket1.asp?info=22&mn=2Archived 19 November 2021 at theWayback Machine
^Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (6 October 2004).
^Keputusan Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia tentang Susunan Dewan Direksi NAM CSSTC, 08/B/KP/VII/2018/01 (22 June 2010).
^Keputusan Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia tentang Pengangkatan Saudara Ronny Prasetyo Yuliantoro, 08/B/KP/2018/01 (11 July 2018)
^Keputusan Presiden Republik Indonesia tentang Pengukuhan Penetapan Keanggotaan Indonesia pada Organisasi Internasional, Nomor 32 Tahun 2012 (2012).
^Sekretaris Menteri Sekretaris Negara Republik Indonesia. (December 2005). Kontribusi Pemerintah RI tahun 2005 untuk PKTSS-GNB.
^Kishore, Raghwendra (2014).International Relations. New Delhi: K. K Publication. p. 25.Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved1 April 2022.
^Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of."Nesvrstani ponovo u Beogradu".Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved18 September 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^In a joint letter to theUN Secretary-General sent just prior to unification, the Ministers of Foreign affairs of North and South Yemen stated that "All treaties and agreements concluded between either the Yemen Arab Republic or the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen and other States and international organizations in accordance with international law which are in force on 22 May 1990 will remain in effect, and international relations existing on 22 May 1990 between the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen and the Yemen Arab Republic and other States will continue."Bühler, Konrad (2001).State Succession and Membership in International Organizations. Martinus Nijhoff Publisher.ISBN9041115536.Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved18 November 2020.
^North Yemen is one of the founders in 1961.South Yemen joined in 1970. In 1990 both wereunified into a single state which accepted responsibility for all treaties of its predecessors.[83]
Lüthi, Lorenz M. "The Non-Aligned Movement and the Cold War, 1961–1973."Journal of Cold War Studies 18.4 (2016): 98–147.online
Miskovic, Natasa, Harald Fischer-Tiné, and Nada Boskovska, eds.The non-aligned movement and the Cold War: Delhi-Bandung-Belgrade (Routledge, 2014).
Mukherjee, Mithi. "'A World of Illusion': The Legacy of Empire in India's Foreign Relations, 1947–62".The International History Review 32:2 (June, 2010): 253–271.
Potter, William.Nuclear politics and the Non-aligned movement: Principles vs pragmatism (Routledge, 2017).
Tassin, Kristin S. "'Lift up Your Head, My Brother': Nationalism and The Genesis of the Non-aligned Movement."Journal of Third World Studies 23.1 (2006): 147–168online.
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