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The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. The movement originated in the aftermath of the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
, as an effort by some countries to counterbalance the rapid bi- polarization of the world during the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
, 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-Soviet, communist bloc whose best known alliance was the Warsaw Pact, and the other the pro-American capitalist group of countries many of which belonged to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
. In 1961, drawing on the principles agreed at the
Bandung Conference The first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference ( id, Konferensi Asia–Afrika)—also known as the Bandung Conference—was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on 18–2 ...
of 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement was formally established in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...
,
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
, through an initiative of Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah, and Indonesian President Sukarno. This led to the first Conference of Heads of State or Governments of Non-Aligned Countries. The term ''non-aligned movement'' first appears in the fifth conference in 1976, where participating countries are denoted as "members of the movement". The purpose of the organization was summarized by Fidel Castro in his Havana Declaration of 1979 as to ensure "the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries" in their "struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism,
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...
, and all forms of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against
great power A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power i ...
and bloc politics." 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 be developing or part of the Third World, although the Non-Aligned Movement also has a number of developed nations. The Non-Aligned Movement gained the most traction in the 1950s and early 1960s, when the international policy of non-alignment achieved major successes in decolonization,
disarmament Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such a ...
, opposition to racism and apartheid 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. In the years since the Cold War's end in 1992, it has focused on developing multilateral ties and connections as well as unity among the developing nations of the world, especially those within the Global South.


History


Origins and the Cold War

The term 'Non-Alignment' was used for the first time in 1950 at the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
by
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
and
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
, both of which refused to align themselves with either side in the multi-alliances involving
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
. Drawing on the principles agreed at the
Bandung Conference The first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference ( id, Konferensi Asia–Afrika)—also known as the Bandung Conference—was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on 18–2 ...
in 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement as an organization was founded on the Brijuni 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 to Rejaul Karim Laskar, an ideologue of the
Congress party The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
which ruled India for most part of the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
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". The Movement advocates a middle course for states in the developing world between the Western and Eastern Blocs during the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
. The phrase itself was first used to represent the doctrine by Indian diplomat V. K. Krishna Menon in 1953, at the United Nations. But it soon after became the name to refer to the participants of the ''Conference 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 the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to be used as a guide for Sino-Indian relations called ''Panchsheel'' (five restraints); these principles would later serve as the basis of the Non-Aligned Movement. The five principles were: * Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. * Mutual non-aggression. * Mutual non-interference in domestic affairs. * Equality and mutual benefit. * Peaceful co-existence. A significant milestone in the development of the Non-Aligned Movement was the 1955
Bandung Conference The first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference ( id, Konferensi Asia–Afrika)—also known as the Bandung Conference—was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on 18–2 ...
, a conference of Asian and African states hosted by Indonesian president Sukarno, who gave a significant boost to promote this movement. Bringing together Sukarno, U Nu, Nasser, Nehru, Tito, Nkrumah and Menon with the likes of Ho Chi Minh, Zhou Enlai, and Norodom Sihanouk, as well as U Thant and a young Indira 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 the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
. Six years after Bandung, an initiative of Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito led to the first ''Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries'', which was held in September 1961 in Belgrade. The term ''non-aligned movement'' appears first in the fifth conference in 1976, where participating countries are denoted as ''members of the movement''. At the Lusaka 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 of military bases in foreign countries. In 1975, the member nations which also were part of the United Nations General Assembly pushed for the Resolution 3379 along with Arab countries and the support of the Soviet bloc. It was a declarative non-binding measure that equated Zionism with South Africa's Apartheid and as a form of racial discrimination. This process was a manifestation of Cold War bipolar logics. The bloc voting produced a majority in the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
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, notably India and Pakistan as well as Iran 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. The 1976 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." The next Non-Aligned conference was scheduled for Havana in 1979, to be chaired by Fidel 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. However, in December 1979, the Soviet Union intervened 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 U.S.S.R. 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 the predominantly Muslim states, condemned it.


Post-Cold War

Because the Non-Aligned Movement formed as an attempt to thaw out the Cold War, it has struggled to find relevance since the Cold War ended . The breakup of Yugoslavia (a prominent founding member) in 1991-1992 also affected the Movement; the regular Ministerial Meeting of the Movement, held in New York during the regular yearly session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1992 suspended Yugoslavia's membership."The Non-Aligned Movement: Member States"
. XII Summit, Durban, South Africa, 2–3 September 1998. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
(The various successor-states of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have expressed little interest in membership, though
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
and Bosnia and Herzegovina have observer status.) India, another founding member, appears to have downgraded its emphasis on the Movement. In 2004
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and Cyprus ceased to be members and joined the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
.
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
is the only member of the Movement in Europe. Azerbaijan and Fiji are the most recent entrants, joining in 2011. Membership-applications from Bosnia and Herzegovina and from Costa Rica were rejected in 1995 and 1998 respectively. Since the end of the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
, the Non-Aligned Movement has felt forced to redefine itself and to reinvent its purpose in the new world-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 emphasised 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.''Putting Differences Aside''
, Daria Acosta, 18 September 2006.
However, as in the past, cohesion remains a problem, since the size of the organisation and the divergence of agendas and allegiances present the ongoing potential for fragmentation. While agreement on basic principles has been smooth, taking definitive action ''vis-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. The Movement continues to see a role for itself: in its view, the world's poorest nations remain exploited and marginalised, no longer by opposing superpowers, but rather in a uni-polar world, 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 by globalization and the implications of neo-liberal policies. The Non-Aligned Movement has identified economic underdevelopment, poverty, and social injustices as growing threats to peace and security. The 16th NAM summit took place in Tehran, Iran, from 26 to 31 August 2012. According to the Teheran-based Mehr News Agency, representatives from over 150 countries were scheduled to attend. 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. At the summit, Iran took over from Egypt as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement for the period 2012 to 2015. In 2016 Venezuela hosted the 17th NAM Summit. Azerbaijan, host of the 18th NAM summit in 2019, holds th
Non-Aligned Movement presidency
pending the 19th summit, scheduled to take place in Uganda in 2022.


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. Some organizational basics were defined at the 1996 ''Cartagena Document on Methodology'' 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. 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: * Respect for fundamental human rights and for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. * Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations. * Recognition of the movements for national independence. * Recognition of the equality of all races and of the equality of all nations, large and small. * Abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another country. * Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself singly or collectively, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations. * Refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country. * Settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations. * Promotion of mutual interests and co-operation. * Respect for justice and international obligations.


Policies and ideology

Chairpersons of the NAM have included such diverse figures as Suharto, a militaristic anti-communist, and Nelson Mandela, a
democratic socialist Democratic socialism is a left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-management within ...
and famous anti-apartheid activist. Consisting of many governments with vastly different ideologies, the Non-Aligned Movement is unified by its declared commitment to world peace and security. At the seventh summit held in New Delhi in March 1983, the movement described itself as "history's biggest peace movement". The movement places equal emphasis on
disarmament Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such a ...
. NAM's commitment to peace pre-dates its formal institutionalisation in 1961. The Brioni meeting between heads of governments of India, Egypt and Yugoslavia in 1956 recognized that there exists a vital link between struggle for peace and endeavours for disarmament. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the NAM also sponsored campaigns for restructuring commercial relations between developed and developing nations, namely the
New International Economic Order The New International Economic Order (NIEO) is a set of proposals advocated by developing countries to end economic colonialism and dependency through a new interdependent economy. The main NIEO document recognized that the current international e ...
(NIEO), and its cultural offspring, the
New World Information and Communication Order The New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO, also shortened to New World Information Order, NWIO or just, more generally, information order) is a term coined in a debate over media representations of the developing world in UNESCO ...
(NWICO). The latter, on its own, sparked a Non-Aligned initiative on cooperation for communications, the Non-Aligned News Agencies Pool, created in 1975 and later converted into the NAM News Network in 2005. 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 organisations 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.Morphet, Sally. "Multilateralism and the Non-Aligned Movement: What Is the Global South Doing and Where Is It Going?". '' Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations''. 10 (2004), pp. 517–537. African concerns about apartheid were linked with Arab-Asian concerns about Palestine and multilateral cooperation in these areas has enjoyed moderate success. The Non-Aligned Movement has played a major role in various ideological conflicts throughout its existence, including extreme opposition to apartheid governments and support of guerrilla movements in various locations, including Rhodesia and South Africa.Grant, Cedric. "Equity in Third World Relations: a third world perspective". '' International Affairs'' 71, 3 (1995), 567–587.


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 the reforming of the United Nations Security Council, stating that the organisation 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 proposed UN reforms are also aimed at improving the transparency and democracy of UN decision-making. The UN Security Council is the element it considers the most distorted, undemocratic, and in need of reshaping.


Self-determination of Puerto Rico

Since 1961, the organization has supported the discussion of the case of Puerto Rico's self-determination before the United Nations. A resolution on the matter was to be proposed on the XV Summit by the
Hostosian National Independence Movement The Hostosian National Independence Movement ( es, Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano, MINH) is a leftist and pro-independence organization in Puerto Rico. As of 2015, Julio Muriente is known to be the leader. History The MINH was ...
but did not progress.


Self-determination of Western Sahara

Since 1973, the group has supported the discussion of the case of Western Sahara's self-determination before the United Nations. The movement reaffirmed in its meeting (Sharm El Sheikh 2009) the support to the Self-determination of the Sahrawi people by choosing between any valid option, welcomed the direct conversations between the parties, and remembered the responsibility of the United Nations on the Sahrawi issue.


Sustainable developments

The movement is publicly committed to the tenets of sustainable development and the attainment of the Millennium 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, the debt burden,
unfair trade practices Unfair business practices encompass fraud, misrepresentation, and oppressive or unconscionable acts or practices by business, often against consumers, and are prohibited by law in many countries. In the European Union, each member state must re ...
, the decline in foreign aid, donor conditionality, and the lack of democracy in international financial decision-making are cited as factors inhibiting development.


Criticism of US foreign policy

In recent years the organization has criticized certain aspects of US foreign policy. The 2003 invasion of Iraq and the War on Terrorism, its attempts to stifle
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and North 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."


South–South cooperation

The Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC) as an intergovernmental institution, which enables developing countries to increase national capacity and their collective self-reliance, forms part of the efforts of NAM. The NAM CSSTC is located in Jakarta, Indonesia with a South-South Technical Cooperation focus. Other NAM Centres focus on the health, human rights and technology sectors are each located in
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. The NAM CSSTC was set up a few years after the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
to promote development in developing countries and to accelerate growth. From 18 to 20 October 1995, in Cartgena 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 in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
. The organisation aims to achieve the development goal of developing countries to achieve sustainable human development and enable developing countries to be equal partners in international relations, in accordance with the Final Document. The NAM CSSTC's main body is the board of directors. In addition, the Board of Directors has a consultative arrangement with a Governing Council under the leadership of the Vice 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 the Islamic Republic of Iran, who began his term of office on 1 July 2018. The organisation is financed by Indonesia's volunteer contributions. 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 organisation is a major endeavour to build NAM member countries' capacities.


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 up South-South cooperation. 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 of
Brunei Darussalam Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...
with the aim of organising different training, research and seminar programmes and activities. The programme activities, aimed at eradicating poverty, encouraging
SMEs Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems store energy in the magnetic field created by the flow of direct current in a superconducting coil which has been cryogenically cooled to a temperature below its superconducting critical ...
and the application of information communication technologies.


Programmes

The NAM CSSTC carries out its activities through cooperation with NAM member countries' training centres and specialists and other multilateral organisations. Examples include Workshop on
IUU fishing Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries. Illegal fishing takes pl ...
eradication, dispatch of agricultural experts to
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and international tissue culture training.


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.


Cultural diversity and human rights

The movement accepts the universality of human rights and social justice, but fiercely resists cultural homogenisation. In line with its views on sovereignty, the organisation 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. Working groups, task forces, committees * 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 * Task Force on Somalia * Working Group on Disarmament * Working Group on Human Rights * Working Group on Peace-Keeping Operations


Summits

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: A variety of ministerial meetings are held between the summit meetings. Some are specialist, 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. The Non-Aligned Movement celebrated its 50th anniversary in Belgrade on 5–6 September 2011. 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 the COVID-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. The Non-Aligned Movement celebrated its 60th anniversary in Belgrade, on 11–12 October 2021.


Chair

A chair is elected at each summit meeting. 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.


Members, observers and guests


Current members

The following countries are members of the NAM, arranged by continent, showing their year of admission:


Africa

Currently every African country (except
South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
and Western Sahara) is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement. # (1961) # (1976) # (1964) # (1970) # (1973) # (1964) # (1964) # (1976) # (1964) # (1964) # (1976) # (1961) # (1983) # (1961) # (1970) # (1995) # (1970) # (1961) # (1970) # (1973) # (1961) # (1961) # (1976) # (1973) # (1964) # (1970) # (1964) # (1964) # (1973) # (1964) # (1961) # (1964) # (1973) # (1961) # (1976) # (1979) # (1973) # (1964) # (1964) # (1970) # (1976) # (1964) # (1976) # (1964) # (1961) # (1994) # (1961) # (1964) # (1964) # (1961) # (1964) # (1964) # (1979)


America

# (2006) # (1983) # (1983) # (1981) # (1979) # (1973) # (1983) # (1961) # (2006) # (2000) # (1983) # (1979) # (1993) # (1970) # (2006) # (1995) # (1970) # (1979) # (1976) # (1973) # (2006) # (1983) # (2003) # (1983) # (1970) # (1989)


Asia

# (1961) # (1973) # (1973) # (1973) # (1993) # (1961) # (1961) # (1961) # (1979) # (1961) # (1964) # (1964) # (1964) # (1961) # (1970) # (1976) # (1993) # (1961) # (1961) # (1975) # (1973) # (1979) # (1976) # (1993) # (1973) # (1961) # (1970) # (1961) # (1964) # (1993) # (2003) # (1995) # (1970) # (1993) # (1976) # (1990)


Europe

# (2011) # (1998)


Oceania

# (2011) # (1993) # (1983)


Former members

# (1961–1990) # (1961–2004) # (1961–1992) # (1970–1990) # (1973–2004) # (1973–1991)


Observers

The following countries and organizations have observer status:


Countries

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # (1970)


Organisations

# Association of Southeast Asian Nations # African Union #
Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation The Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO) is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the ideals of national liberation and Third World solidarity. The organization is based in Egypt and has around 26-50 staff. The ...
# Arab League #
Commonwealth Secretariat The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating co-operation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads o ...
#
Hostosian National Independence Movement The Hostosian National Independence Movement ( es, Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano, MINH) is a leftist and pro-independence organization in Puerto Rico. As of 2015, Julio Muriente is known to be the leader. History The MINH was ...
# Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front # Organisation of Islamic Cooperation # South Centre #
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
#
World Peace Council The World Peace Council (WPC) is an international organization with the self-described goals of advocating for universal disarmament, sovereignty and independence and peaceful co-existence, and campaigns against imperialism, weapons of mas ...


Guests

There is no permanent guest status,XII Summit, Durban, South Africa, 2–3 September 1998
''The Non-Aligned Movement: Background Information 4.4.''
but often several non-member countries are represented as guests at conferences. In addition, a large number of organisations, both from within the
UN system The United Nations System consists of the United Nations' six principal organs (the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the UN Secretariat) ...
and from outside, are always invited as guests.


See also

* Asian–African Conference *
Dual loyalty In politics, dual loyalty is loyalty to two separate interests that potentially conflict with each other, leading to a conflict of interest. Inherently controversial While nearly all examples of alleged "dual loyalty" are considered highly con ...
* Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence * G-77 * Neutral country *
Neutral powers during World War II The neutral powers were countries that remained neutral country, neutral during World War II. Some of these countries had large Colony, colonies abroad or had great economic power. Francoist Spain, Spain had just been through Spanish Civil War ...
*
New World Information and Communication Order The New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO, also shortened to New World Information Order, NWIO or just, more generally, information order) is a term coined in a debate over media representations of the developing world in UNESCO ...
* North–South divide * Policy of deliberate ambiguity * India and the Non-Aligned Movement * Yugoslavia and the Non-Aligned Movement * South-South Cooperation * Third World *
Strategic autonomy Strategic autonomy is defined as the ability of a state to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without depending heavily on other foreign states. In European context, strategic autonomy is the ability of the Europ ...


References


Further reading

* Arnold, Guy. ''The A to Z of the Non-aligned Movement and Third World'' (Scarecrow Press, 2010). * Dinkel, Jürgen. ''The Non-Aligned Movement: Genesis, Organization and Politics (1927–1992)'' (Brill: Leiden/Boston, 2019). . * Graham, John A. "The non-aligned movement after the Havana Summit." ''Journal of International Affairs'' (1980): 153-16
online
* Kansal, Shubhangi. "Non-Aligned Movement in The 21st Century: Relevant or No?." (2020)
online
* Köchler, Hans (ed.),
The Principles of Non-Alignment. The Non-aligned Countries in the Eighties—Results and Perspectives
'. (London: Third World Centre, 1982). * 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 Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...
, 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): 147-16
online


External links


18th Summit
Eighteenth Non-Aligned Movement Summit (Baku 2019)
Official Site: 17th Summit
Seventeenth Non-Aligned Movement Summit (Margarita, Venezuela 2016)
Official Site: 16th Summit
Sixteenth Non-Aligned Movement Summit (Tehran 26–31 August 2012)
Official Site: 15th Summit
Fifteenth Non-Aligned Movement Summit (Sharm el-Sheikh 11–16 July 2009)

Fourteenth Non-Aligned Movement Summit (Havana, 11–16 September 2006)
Non-Aligned Movement
South African government NAM site
International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies
International Organization for Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation

The Cold War International History Project's Document Collection on the NAM
{{Authority control 1961 establishments in Yugoslavia 1961 establishments in Serbia Organizations established in 1961 1960s in Belgrade 20th century in international relations 21st century in international relations Cold War organizations Foreign policy doctrines of India